Kathakali Theatre Workshop

The Kathakali Theatre Workshop is meant:

For the theatre students and theatre persons...
For those who want to use Kathakali as actor training…
For those who want to develop a spiritual vision through theatre…
For those who want to discover their own theatre…

Focus
The workshop is led by Ettumannur Kannan, an accomplished Kathakali artiste with many decades of performance to his credit. Focus of this workshop will be helping the participants get a new perspective about his/her spirituality. This realisation of one’s own self and serenity that follows is the base of traditional Indian theatre.

Duration
 A minimum of TWO days (three hours each), during which Ettumannur Kannan will introduce the basic methods of stylised acting used in Kathakali.

The next FIVE days (three hours per day) will feature advanced lessons in Kathakali acting techniques, basically meant for a fresher.

Core part of the KTW is next FIFTEEN days (two hours per day), during which lessons for realising potential of one’s body and mind are given.

Training
The aspects covered in KTW are:

• Lectures on the history of Kathakali
• Physical training
• Breathing exercises
• Training in facial expressions
• Eye exercises
• Training in hand gesture language
• Foot exercises
• Training in dance
• Training in stylized acting
• Lectures on different aspects of Indian aesthetic theories
• Introductory classes on other art forms of India
• Talks on Yoga and Spirituality as a foundation for understanding the basic concepts in all Indian art forms  

Kathakali
Kathakali is a traditional theatre form of Kerala, a State in South India. The theatre evolved its techniques and acting styles over many centuries. Basically narrative in nature, this theatre form employs actor training methods from classical Indian theatre tradition.

The story is narrated through songs rendered by singers from the backdrop. Actors, with elaborate facial make-up and costumes, visualise story thus rendered using postures and gestures. This makes Kathakali an actor’s art, demanding the full physical potential of an actor. No wonder, this spectacular theatre form has been attracting theatre students and aficionados from across the world.

Moulding of a Kathakali actor involves strenuous physical exercises and patient meditative sessions over a long period. The actor is made to look into oneself and draw energy to portray the complex pattern of narrative tradition using his body and facial expressions.

At KTW, actors are given a flavour of this complex training regime so that he/she can guide the inner energies towards creative expression.  Along with basics of physical and facial acting techniques, the KTW includes breathing exercises that provide insights to the beauty of silence. The idea is to canalise and optimise the inner energy of an actor to augment acting and dancing talents.

At the KTW, actors learn the art of reducing the whole proscenium to one’s body. The elaborate and colourful facial make-up used by the Kathakali actors is unique in magnifying the use of facial features the maximum effect. This helps the single actor on the stage to be many characters at the same time using minimal stage properties and almost no lighting effects.

Create a monologue:
The potential of using basics of Kathakali in contemporary theatre is immense, as realised by many over the years.  Many of the modern, experimental theatre practitioners have drawn inspiration from Kathakali. This is the starting point for the KTW.

The goal of KTW is to enable the participant to come up with an original performance using  the techniques and stylised acting of Kathakali.

Are you interested?
If you want to be a part of this workshop, please register below.

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