URUBHANGAM - Purvarang (English)

NAGAMANDALA (Prologue) in English by Rout

URUBHANGAM IN YOUTUBE (English)

Duryodhana is on his spiritual journey to heaven in Urubhangam (The last episode of Mahabharata)

Very recently I have created two pieces of theatre with the World performance students of East 15 Acting School of University of Essex, UK. 1. URUBHANGAM, 2. NAGAMANDALA. I have uploaded a clip of Urubhangam (Purvranga or Prologue), a classical Indian play written more than 2500 years before by Mahakavi Bhasa. Elements from Indian Sanskrit theatre, Kathakali, Chhau and Yakshyagana tradition is adopted efficiently in this production. Those who keep interest on Indian theatre can watch it in Youtube. The link is provided below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ZuAqv0Rpc

INDIAN ANCIENT TRADITION OF THEATRE

Dr. Satyabrata Rout

Purvarang rituals from the play "Urubhangam" written by Mahakavi Bhasa in 250 bc. 

The legacy of Indian tradition of theatre and dramatic activities can be dated back much earlier to Sanskrit theatre or ancient Greek drama. There are evidences of oral story telling traditions. The two great epics of Indian literature, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata which were written during the Vedic period (5000 years before), have determined the socio-cultural behaviour of Indian society. These epics indicate an ancient performance culture in India. The Ramayana speaks of a Rama-Katha; The story of Lord Rama, which was performed by the sons of Rama;  Lava and Kush, in his royal court of Ayodhya. According to some authors, the renderings of the Ramayana by the twin brothers sets the trend of story-telling tradition in India, popularly known as [1]Lava-Kush parampara. 

Oral tradition was a common practice in the Vedic period. Patanjali`s Mahabhashya--Great Discourse-- mentions a tradition of granthikas and sobhanikas prevalent in ancient India. These Granthis (narraters) not only recited the legends of great fight of Bali and Sugriba from Ramayana or the killing of Kansa by Krishna from Hari Katha, but also performed them. 

Paul Kirutz in his book "The making of Theatre history" mentioned;

[2]“Archaeological excavations revealed dance in India was over 5000 years ago. Dance and drama continued throughout India during Vedic, Epic and classical period. Before the invasion of Aryans, the Dravidian kings amused themselves with minstrels and festivals.    Aryans, who invaded India around 1600 B.C, dominated its spiritual and cultural life. Sanskrit became the elite language used only at court and temple culture. Oral traditions with the dialects descended from the Dravidians were continued. The Rig-Veda suggested that dramatic theatre came into being around the 8^th century B.C. In addition, Jataka Stories depicting Indian life between 600 B.C – 300 B.C contain references of theatre”.

The Story Telling Tradition

Vishnu Sharma’s [3]Panchatantra, attributed to 3^rd century B.C, contributed towards performance traditions in India. This book, originally written in Sanskrit, contains stories dated back to the oral tradition of ancient story-tellers living near by the sea among the fishing community. The stories were performed or narrated by these nomadic communities as a part of an age old tradition. They were collected, re-interpreted and analysed by the scholar Vishnu Sharma for the wayward sons of the king Sagara Dutta.

The early evidence of theatre at the Sitabenga cave in Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh region of Middle India strengthens the implication of dramatic performances during the pre-classical era. Inscriptions describe the performances of poetic renderings from Yadu Vansha and Hari Vansha--the stories of Krishna dynasty, which were a usual practice in a small amphitheatre built at Sitabenga cave for this purpose. Similar performance spaces where the ancient theatrical activities were practiced are found in the caves of Ranigumpha in Udaygiri hills near Bhubaneswar. Constructed by the famous Chedi ruler Kharavela during 2^nd-1^st century B.C, Ranigumpha cave provides enough evidences of the existence of a Ranga-mandapa, which followed the principles of ancient theatre architecture and tradition. Other evidences are present in the temple inscriptions of ancient India in South and West, built subsequently during the reign of different rulers; Chalukya, Pandya, Ahira, Bhoi, and others. In the rock shelters of Bhimbaitka in Madhya Pradesh or in the Delta of Nagarjunakonda in Deccan plateaus, we can see the traces of performance spaces during the pre Vedic and Classical era.

In reference to the Nagarjunakonda amphitheatre, Professor H.V Sharma puts some light;

 [4]“It is also probable that the excavated theatre is a relic of the degenerated form of the caturasra of the classical kind. In that state, the theatre might have gone to serve the purpose of the popular Buddhists’ presentation”

Ranigumpha cave theatre in Udaygiri hills, Bhubaneswar, Orissa,
Constructed by the king Kharavela od Chedi dinesty in 2nd century b.c

By looking into these evidences, history and folklores, we can draw an outline of performance tradition in the pre-historic, Vedic and ancient India. It is a matter of fact that, theatre always remained associated with religion and rituals. It was practised as a major community activity and flourished as a social art among people. Indian culture has developed and nourished under the patronisation of the Vedic-cult and Buddhism in which all the activities and ritualistic practices lead to offerings and prayers. Theatre, a tool for offerings, also became an integral medium of worship and prayer. In the Vedic era, special places were designated for dramatic activities either inside the temple or in its premises. These ancient performance spaces were covered with temporary roofs or even open to the sky. These improvised spaces were probably used both for sacrifices and performances. We have enough evidences of these types of performance spaces all over India. These Gramya Natya Mandapas (The rural Theatre) were ancestral structures of the classical Indian Theatres.  

With the decline of Sanskrit Drama in 10^th -11^th century, traditional and folk performances occupied the centre stage. Theatre became free from the hands of temple authorities and royal patronisation and became an integral part of common life. Its form and colours were also changed accordingly. Language of the common folks became the vocabulary of theatre. native dialects, local costumes, folk music, dance and folk colours changed the performances into regional. Even today Indian theatre is best known for its regional flavour. We can experience verities of theatrical forms practised in the length and breadth of the country with different dialects, costumes and attitudes. Some of these forms are developed out of our social activities while the rest are an extension of temple culture and ritualistic practices.

By collecting references from different sources one can reach a conclusion that Indian performance practices were a part of the lifestyle of its native people. It emerged from the soil  and became life itself. But we don’t have any authentic record of these performance practices for further study. The reason is rooted in the Indian philosophy; that life itself is Maya- illusion. Whatever we experience in this earthly world is only illusion, thus keeping a record of illusive activities would be foolhardy. Most Indian authors and playwrights tdid not even mentioned their names and dates on their manuscripts. Nothing is clear about their performances and practises. No permanent architectural constructions of theatre houses and performance spaces exist in the country. Some scholars are even doubtful on their existance in ancient times. Natyashastra, the dramaturgy of performance practice in ancient India only indicates method and techniques than practical and historical evidences. But somehow post-Natyashastra era witnessed performative traditions–Kootiyattam and Kathakali--which still continue in the south of India. Koothambalam, the permanent performance play house inside a temple complex in Kerala provides some evidence towards the glorious performance tradition of ancient Indian theatre. By analysing all these evidences and references we can assume the performance spaces where ancient practices might be continuing.

These evidences are purely based on the following factors:      

1. From descriptions of Natyagriha nirmana- Construction of playhouses, in Natyashastra.

2. From Indian history and myth. 

3. From the study of Indian traditional and folk theatrical forms.

As discussed earlier, space is an integral part of performances, irrespective of structure and nature. In the beginning of human civilisation, man may have used public spaces for social gatherings and rituals. Our ancestors worshiped their deities for the well being of family and community. They offered prayers and performed rituals in the way of native dances, music and activities which might be the origin of theatre. The rock arts and cave paintings in pre-historic civilisation are evidences of the existence of performance spaces for community-based social activities.

Few performance spaces identified exist in the heart of mountains, deep within dense forests, caves or in the temple premises. This guides us to form a conclusion beyond doubt that, much before the performance practises in Greece, Rome and Indian Classical theatre, we had a strong performance tradition in the form of rituals, entertainment and activities.

Contd….

---

[1] Lava-kusa parampara, otherwise known as Oral traditions of India, continues in some of the regions even today. It is the biographical presentation of someone’s life story in the form of ballads and narrations. The tradition which continues from the Vedic period is considered as one of the strongest and finest tradition of the world. The story-telling tradition passes from generation to generation without any written text.

[2] The Making of Theatre History by Paul Kirutz; page-66, Published by:  Prentice Hall College, Div. USA.

[3] Panchatantra was written by Pt. Vishnu Sharma during 3^rd Century B.C. The book depicts the essence of morality in the form of stories narrated by animal characters like; Fox, Crow, Owl, Deer, Mouse, Fish, Snakes etc.

[4] “Caturasra Madhyama Natyamandapa”-Author: Prof. H.V Sharma,  National School of Drama      Publication- Pg: 41

...........

Friends and Colleagues! 

I wanted to share a very strange experience, 
which I faced in in England with the East 15 students. 
The day of the Grand rehearsal.... 

 LETTER FROM A TEACHER TO HIS STUDENTS: AN OPEN LETTER

I had to start my grand rehearsal at 2 pm and wind up at 5 pm.... There was another programme in the evening, the students had to attend. But I could not start the rehearsal in time due to some technical problem... It started at 2.30. 

While the last scene was going on, I heard a loud voice from the lighting booth.... very loud;
"Its 5 pm. Stop the run through... We have to go". 
I was shocked... 
The Grand rehearsal was stopped in the middle. I was at the peak of my furry. But did not express my anger. I conducted a quick meeting and told them;

"You all have insulted me.... Insulted theatre.... 
This  never happens in my country, in  Indian theatre..... 
We know one thing that The show must go on and curtain must rise. 
I will never come back to England again since you people have lost self respect." ..... 

I left my residence at Chalk-well.

After few hours... I got many phone calls and apology letters......

Out of many letters, one, that an Anglo-Indian girl has written to me and in response what I wrote them an open letter, I want to share that to all my students and friends over the world.... 
This very impulsive letter shows  STUDENT-TEACHER relationship. Please read it carefully.
(Only for the student community)

• Conversation started July 3
•
10:41pm
Charlotte Barnes
Hi Satya
I just wanted to let you know that we don't all share Ryan's opinion and feel that was all rather unpleasant earlier. I'm sad to hear you say you never want to come to the UK again. I know a lot of people also share my opinion and we are sad there has been a lot of negativity from both parties. I hope despite the bad times you may also take some good memories back with you to India.
Charlotte/ Warrior 4/ Anglo Indian Girl

7:56pm
Satyabrata Rout

(IN RESPONSE TO CHORLATTE'S LETTER)

Dear Charlott!
This unfortunate moment comes in theatre frequently. I am used to it. But this should not happen... See! I have given my blood and soul to theatre and I feel it’s my responsibility to groom the students and show them the right way. I have so many students over the world and believe me I love them more than my own kids. They also respect me as a father figure... There should be a bond of love and respect between a student and a teacher. Sometimes I shout, only because disrespect to the medium irritates me. Another important thing is our cultural diversity. East and West are different..... I can understand it but since I came here to teach you Indian theatre, it should be the responsibility of the students to adopt a new culture and find the possibilities in it. Now two months have passed... but the progress is not as significant as expected. If a grand run through is stopped without the prior knowledge of the director.... is it not disrespect for the medium? You just think over it. I have never demanded any respect for myself...rather my work brought me everything in the international perspective. I am not angry now. I was upset but now its ok.... It’s part of life... Don't worry... I will come to London thousand times if you feel my need ever... and if my training helps you to understand the discipline of theatre and with that a little understanding of life... my coming here and the training will get its meaning. I love u all.... You are like my children... I can scold, shout and will show you the right way. Don’t worry.... Tomorrow we will meet and shake hands and do our best to achieve the goal. I don’t need any apology... It must be realisation. If possible share this letter to everyone of both the group.

I love you all
Satyabrata Rout
Regards....
Satyabrata Rout

Performance:

An offering in the Yagna of Ranga-Karma

(Searching for a new vocabulary in the contemporary theatre, 

Through the discipline of Natyashastra and other Indian Traditions)

Dr. Satyabrata Rout

Associate Professor University of Hyderabad

Visiting Professor at East 15 Acting School, University of Essex, England

A ritual from the play: Urubhangam, Indian Sanskrit drama, presented by-
East 15 Acting students, University of Essex, UK

Idea:

Sometimes I wonder how much Indian I am? How much I know my country; its custom, tradition, philosophy, culture and literature? And I claim to be an Indian!!! Here in London while teaching Indian theatre to the European students, I am searching for my identity, my root. Is it not looking bit funny that in a western Country I am in quest of Indian culture? I am becoming more Indian than I was in India!!! Why this thought never comes in our own soil to most of us and all on a sudden it stands before as a question of survival!!!!

Today is Sunday and here in Europe no one works in holidays. They enjoy... and wake up late. But as an early riser I got up at 4.30 morning. It was going to be dawn and the south end of the sea in England where I live was waking up to a clear morning after a nightlong rain and severing cold. All the houses in the lane were still in dark and sea was calm…. Utter silence engulfed the hamlet. In this calm atmosphere I opened my Bhagwat Gita (the book I always kept with me while on travel) and started reading some slokas as a usual practice. At one point in Karma Yoga my reading stopped… It was at the point when Lord Krishna narrates to the depressed Arjuna about the Karma; deeds:

“sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah… 
para-dharmo bhayavahah…”

Which means:

It is always better to adopt and stay constant in your self-prescribed duties (Karma) and die for that rather to adopt others’ deeds; however good and noble it is!

From the outer surface, it has nothing to do with theatre but somehow I stopped at this point. I have been never rigid to adopt any creative ideology and issues…. But not blindly…

This sloka seems to me has a great link with our contemporary theatre practice. In India we have almost forgotten the value of our Swadharma; especially in the field of art, literature and culture. Most of our theatre practitioners have nothing to do with Indian theatre and its discipline and what to say about our academicians!!! In every step of action, we the so-called authority of theatre look at the west, which reflects in every inch of our gesture. Slowly it became a fashion in the theatre world now. We have nothing to do with our root and yet we call us Indian!!! We have a great treasure of theatre discipline; Natyashastra and we have forgotten it!! Why don’t we create our contemporary theatre based on the treatise of Natyashastra and other deeply rooted cultural discipline? Why are we looking every time to west like Paradharma as narrated by Krishna in Geeta?

Duryodhan crawls on the ground after his theigh id shattered by Bhima (An episode from Mahabharata

Concept:

Indian culture and philosophy always attracts the scholars over the world and history witnesses how people from various walks of life came to India in different phases of time in the quest of knowledge and wisdom! I am not going to touch that issue… the area is too big to understand. But I must say about our Indian theatre. Forget about past, in the recent years, in 20^th century, theatre practitioners, scholars, theoreticians and academicians used to come to India to study our discipline and performance culture, which yet remain alien to most of us! Brecht, Perter Brook, Barba, Schechner, Tadashi Suzuki, Grotowski and many scholars over the world have adopted Oriental training system and most of them have travelled a long way to come here and learn Indian theatre and adopted the techniques for their methods based on Bharata’s Natyashastra and Ziami’s aesthetic principles.

What is there in Natyashastra that attracts the scholars over the world to reinterpret, redefine and exploring in many ways? While experimenting on a kind of training system from this Indian treatise with a group of western actors, I found the necessity of sharing some of my experiences and techniques we are adopting from Indian theatre discipline. I want to put forth the basic fundamental issues that made our Indian training system more viable among all the disciplines over the world.

Contemporary theatre over the world is undergoing an identity crisis after globalization. Be it western or Indian the problem remains the same everywhere. World theatre has already reached its maturity in the context of technology. But is the application of technology in various ways and means, called theatre? Is it ever remained as a major demand of presentation? Off course, it has helped to project us better, to communicate more meaningfully. But this is not the final goal of theatre. The final goal lies somewhere else. From the beginning of humanity, man tries to search his self-identity through the medium of theatre. The communion and human bond is not other than the theatre activity. Theatre taught us sharing… emotion, feeling, and knowledge. In this way it contributes to the age-old wisdom of mankind. But somehow our contemporary practice lacks all these essential elements that theatre offers. Either we have been trapped into the dark chamber of the showcase world or we have fallen into the dangerous pit of consumerism. The spirituality of theatre art; Satwika, has been faded away from our mind, which was once the driving force of Indian theatre

A scene from Nagamandala by East 15 students.... written by Girish Karnad

Nowhere in the world performance culture, priority has been given to the spiritual performance apart from Asian theatre, whose main stream of knowledge is based on Natyashastra. This priceless creation of Bharata never talks of acting; that we know in a general sense. It speaks of the Natyam; The performance. Here we perform the characters but not portray it in a representational manner, as is a common practice in the western theatre. We portray the characters; not as an incarnation, not as a representation of life… rather in a presentational style as an offering of the self to the karma, which is abstract, symbolic, metaphorical and poetic. Natyashastra levelled theatre as Drishya-Kavyam, which means a visual-poetry; a verse, which can be visible and audible in a given space and time. This discipline of knowledge can never be achieved through compartmental education system derived by western method, for which a tree is a tree, a bird is a bird and a house is a house. The system in west has been developed within their framework and it has its own aesthetics and presentation style. But for Indian theatre where is the tree and where is the house? And how we portray it? In an empty space, we perform. We never carry with us any external elements; set…props…mask… etc. Even no real character! We even can’t think of any additional elements except our physical presence in the form of a human body, which is to be offered in the yagyanan of rang-karma as a ritualistic practice. We are necked actors in an empty space. So metaphorically we create the whole world with the help of our physical and vocal expressions. And the irony of Indian Theatre is; it is formed in front of the spectators and dissolved in to emptiness according to the need and demand of the poetry. We create the drishya and wipe it out the and there in an empty space. But it has a great philosophical value, which can only be realised through an Indian sensibility. As Indian philosophy visualises everything as Maya; illusion, performance itself is a great illusion. Sometimes it becomes visible and in a fraction of second it vanishes and in the next moment it is realised in the imagination… in thoughts and becomes a concept. This concept of performance travels in many layers and in any many planes within a single moment of time and space. It can’t follow a linear journey; it is bound to be non-linear and is destined to cross all the barriers of logical human experiences. Finally it elevates the performers and the spectators in to the state of bliss where the spectator able to test of the rasa of the performance and enjoy. Then the Yagyan is fulfilled for the wellbeing of the society. It becomes a celebration of life. 

The Training:

The training process of Nagamandala based on Indian theatre Style.

To offer our-self into the holy fire of Yagynan to achieve spirituality, the performer is bound to go through a strenuous training process. Natyashastra prescribes four different disciplinary training system for the performance practice; Angika: performance through physical behaviour, Vachika: performance of voice, Aharya: performance through external elements such as costume, makeup etc. satwika: the spiritual performance.

As a contemporary theatre trainer my aim is not to pull once again to the convention of classical theatre but to develop a modern theatre training system which passes through the strong discipline of Natyashastra tradition and brings the flavours and fragrance of Indian theatre, which can connect the fragmented performances of actor’s body, voice, and other visual elements to the soul of the performers and views. Then only it would become a happening and celebrate life in its full content; as much modern and contemporary we may be.

To enter into this discipline of theatre one has to completely surrender him to the training process. In Sanskrit language it is called Samarpana; an offering of our body, mind and soul to the karma; our deed. Once a student enters into this activity, he has to obey and follow all the rituals without any kind of resistance from his side. In the extreme condition, he even is not allowed to question to the master, his guru, until the teacher asks him to say. All the activities are the rituals, which has to be performed by the disciple without hesitation and the student has to experience this rigorous process through his body, voice, mind and soul. Theatre, art is a practice of physical expressions over the world. The tactile experience is termed as Shariranubhuti; experience of the physical being. In this art form everything is indicated through the physical being of the actor. Until and unless he passes through the bodily experience, how can he be able to express the truth of life? That is the reason why in India a Gurukul training system was developed. The disciple has to spend the entire time with the teacher not only to be educated but to learn life as well. 

As modern theatre trainer it becomes our responsibility to motivate the students and guide them to pass through this training process. But it should start from the fundamental level. We have to orient our global students to understand the essence of the culture, tradition, discipline and life of an Indian (Indian in true sense). It may be difficult in the beginning but once they understand, they will love to do it with respect. While working with a bunch of European students I have also gone through a different experiences, which I never faced in India. But here in another part of the world, the culture is different. One can’t change the culture and that should not the purpose of the training. Here the responsibility of a teacher is more than the duty of a student; How to orient them towards the discipline of Indian theatre!

The western compartmental education system stands as a strong wall in front of us, which has to be cracked to understand the wholistic approach of Indian theatre. This makes a big difference between these two cultures;

·      Compartmental

·      Wholistic. 

European training system is based on specialized pedagogy. For each discipline there are specializations, which focus to definite subjects. For a student of west, his whole world encircles around his specialized area and finally he becomes expert in that. This leads to the concept of division of labour. Theatre pedagogy has also designed accordingly. The theatre of west has been segmented in many branches such as; Community theatre, Theatre for higher education, Management and technical theatre, Acting and stage combat, Physical theatre, World performance, Acting in Films, Acting for stage, Realistic Theatre, etc… This compartmental education system creates professionalism. But at the same time it develops one-dimensional approach. While in Indian system, one has to go through a wholistic training process. The process is like a ritual, where one activity follows the other in a systematic order. We don’t have the concept of physical actor, vocal actor, stylized actor or realistic actor. Our training system in Natyashastra starts with various foot movements, hand gestures, and exercises of neck, face, eyes and other smaller units of the body. There are many ways of voice exercises, which vibrates through different resonators in different emotions. The actor has to understand the performance techniques of costumes, ornaments, makeup, etc. And finally in the performance the performer connects all these fragmentation with soul. Indian performers always practice their own makeup, know the style of wearing costumes and learn to handle them in the performance. The audience as an integral part of the rituals, also able to understand the gestures and movements, though abstract they are. The audience also connects these abstract hasta mudras (Gestures) and chari (movements) with his constant association of life and visualizes an imaginary world. The process of performance becomes participation where both the group (audiences and actors) performs the rituals of performance. And the play continues in between them. This wholistic approach is the lifeline of Indian theatre upon which the entire world of performance pedagogy stands.

Satvikabhinaya:

The spiritual journey of Duryodhana to Heaven

The Union of physical being with the soul of the performer:

For the union of body, mind and soul, and to achieve appropriate expressions, the actor has to pass through a spiritual journey; a path that leads him to channelize everything to a single focus. His complete being has to be an offering for the great yagnyan of performance. In this state of mind; at the union of the soul with the physical expression, the performer is lifted to the level of blissful ambiance. The union between the soul and the physical being of the actor, transforms the performer into a big performance; a great yagnyan. The wall of resistance dissolves at this moment of time and the performance happens without any tension, anxiety, pain, hesitation, and resistance. The subconscious of the performer leads him to behave while his conscious watches him performing. Natyashastra defines it as Satwika-abhinaya or the spiritual performance. This is not a performance, rather a state of being; the absolute truth of the performance. By attaining this state, a performer keeps him in a level, where all components of his physical and mental being becomes relaxed so as his performance. The discipline of Indian theatre always indicates for this spiritual performance that makes Indian training system as one of the unique method in the pedagogy of world theatre.

While in the beginning stage a performer may not achieve this state but with concentration and regular practice he would be able to realize this state of performance. For an urban actor the training seems difficult but worthy enough to build discipline in him.

Some of the photographs of the plays on Indian theatre

Continued……..