Question 3: According to legend, Sanskrit drama was created in order to
become the “fifth veda.” The direct translation of the “Ramlila” is “Rama’s
sport.” How does acting in and/or
viewing these types of performances
serve as a spiritual practice? How does
the sacred nature of the performance enhance or inhibit creativity?
Sanskrit dramas use the concept “rasa” which the creator creates meaning for. This creates for a spiritual experience, because this aspect of the performance means that emotions are conveyed to spectators. Rasa is about emotions and passion, and the experience in viewing it is a unique one to the performance.
In the case of these two dramas, I believe that the spiritual experience is essential to both the actors and the spectators. The performers in the Ramlila are normally amateurs who are paid a very small amount. Though, they do receive gifts sometimes from spectators, they are not greatly compensated for the work done in the play, so why participate? Well, I believe that the Ramlila’s religious roots create an exceptional experience for performers. It is the tasks of actors to portray religious text through music and singing. Furthermore, enthralled spectators also have quite a spiritual connection to the drama. As mentioned above, spectators will worship the divine characters, and give gifts to actors during the depiction of a wedding. Sanskrit is also a spiritual experience, where the creator portrays the concept of rasa and creates emotions among spectators.
This spiritual aspect of these dramas, in my opinion, enhances creativity in these dramas. Though, in the case of the Ramlila, the drama is bound to religious texts, these texts are not just read but performed to the audience. This performance features music, singing, and other creativities. In the case of the Sanskrit, it is very open to creativity with the very broad topic of rasa.
-Monica Strauss
I am noticing a trend here- many of the non-Western performance arts focus on re-creating performances that are well known and well loved by audiences, rather than trying to create something new. A second observation is the way in which so many of the art forms are tied into religion. In Western performance, art seems to have moved away from religion- time can't be the answer since these non-Western cultures have been around longer than we have, so why do you think they keep doing the same things?
ReplyDeleteGood encapsulation of the article (except the celebration's not called the Ramayana, is it? The Ramayana is the story of Rama. I think the celebration would have a different suffix.) However, I'd like you to go deeper into this idea of what constitutes a spiritual practice. Your answer here seems to be: a. performers aren't getting paid, b. recognition of a deity is involved, and c. spectators find the performance emotionally stimulating, therefore the Ramlila is a spiritual practice. All true, but I'd like you to speculate more on exactly what aspects of context can raise a performance from a mere pleasurable pastime to the level of guided meditation on the nature of divinity and the presence of the divine in human experience. Is there some type of performance that accomplishes this same task for you?
ReplyDeleteWhile these performances are spiritual in nature, I find the varying behavior of the audience members interesting. Pains are taken to ensure that the boring sections of the performance occur when there is the least amount of audience in attendance. Should these sections occur during a prime time, additional side performances are conducted to entertain the audience. I think it would be interesting to attend a performance of "Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolfe" wherein, farcical interludes take place during some of the more laborious scenes.
ReplyDelete- Hailey Drescher