Annotated Bibliography
Banerjee, Utpal K. Indian Performing Arts. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House PVT LTD., 1992.
Utpal’s book deals with all of the various forms of performing arts in India (including fine arts, music, dance, ballet, and cinema. The book contained many individual essays, broad in topic and scope, each discussing a different troupe, performance, or show, which made it a bit difficult to follow. I found Part III’s Insight: Theatre - Natya Shastra: The Living Heritage to be the only section that dealt with a more generalized discussion of Indian Theatre. This book would be a great source for those wanting specific examples of how every artistic medium in India is growing and thriving by combining the old practices of the cultures and religions with newer ones; however, for the purposes of my scrapbook, it will not be used.
Boner, Alice. “Kathakali.” Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, 3, 1935. 61-74.
Boner’s article offers a behind-the-scenes glance of the intricacies of Kathakali characters, design influences, and actor preparations and training. Boner includes some examples of the actors embodying various characters. Some of the noted actor preparations concern the application of make-up and the wearing of traditional costume. “The fact that the costumes are not individualized, but represent certain types, classifying them roughly into the godly, the demoniac and human, places the show at once in a symbolical sphere.” (65). The article is objective in tone and is the most accessible and useful of all the articles I found. I have found many informative sections of the article that will be utilized in my exploration of Kathakali in the scrapbook.
Chatterjea, Anaya. “Kathakali Dance-Drama: Where Gods and Demons Come to Play by Phillip Zarrilli.” Theatre Journal, 55:3, Oct. 2003. 556-558.
Chatterjea’s article analyzes Zarrilli’s thorough book on Kathakali. She goes on to say of Zarrilli that he recognizes, “the descriptor ‘classical’ is widely used in many discussions of Indian performance forms but takes care to point out both the necessary disconnect and the mobility in the understanding of such terminology.” (557). I did not detect an opinion of the author that was either praising or criticizing Zarrilli’s book. This article was a concise way of looking at a very in-depth book, but it will not be used in the scrapbook.
Chaudhury, Pravas Jivan. “The Theory of Rasa.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 24:1, Autumn, 1965. 145-149.
Chaudhury’s short article offers an explanation about rasa as it applies to emotions. For example, while explaining that rasa is not an emotion, Chaudhury says that, “Rasa is realized when an emotion is awakened in the mind in such a manner that it has none of its usual conative tendencies and is experienced in an impersonal, contemplative mood.” (145). The author rejects the conventional definitions of rasa and tries to broaden the reader to understand rasa beyond poetry. This article was too short to find substantial nuggets of information and will probably not be used for the project.
Dalmia, Vasudha. Poetics, Plays, and Performances: The Politics of Modern India Theatre. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Vasudha’s book offers a fascinating view of how Brechtian theatre applies itself to the theatre of India and analyzes various plays and productions. Its chapters read like essays that delve into topics such as how modern Hindi theatre compares to folk-traditional theatre and what are the politics (or policies) of modern Indian theatre. This author’s method of presentation is predominantly objective, but does offer some opinion about linking together the past and present theatre of India with Brechtian theatre. “The box set of drawing-room drama, along with the bourgeois perception that was part and parcel of it, had never become staple fare in India. The Indian response… was differently conditioned and went different ways. It was the primacy of the fable, as emphasized by Brecht, its joints and junctures, its historicization, and at times also its expressly political orientation, which found immediate echo in the diverse regional and folk theatre traditions…” (178). While the subject was very intriguing to me when I first chose the book, I ultimately do not see it being used as a resource for the scrapbook.
Dutt, Bishnupriya and Urmimala Sarkar Munsi. Engendering Performance: Indian Women Performers in Search of an Identity. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2010.
The authors of this book take a microscopic look at theatre practices in India and the role women played in the past (and continue to play presently). The introduction provided an interesting summary about the role of the actress (or female dancer) in the colonization of India. “Actresses seemed to be the principal players of the first phase of colonial theatre history. A plethora of actress names through memoirs, travel writings, newspaper advertisements and criticisms seem to constitute the history of ‘the theatre’.” (28). In addition to the introduction, I found the section on the Natyasastra: Emerging (Gender) Codes and the Woman Dancer, filled with fascinating facts, “… the classical dances essentially became a female domain as soon as they were formalized into the revitalized and restricted shape in the modern times, as far as the practice and performance was concerned.” (165). Though the material is about the role of women in Indian Theatre, the writing is impartial. I will be briefly discussing the role of women in the scrapbook.
Emigh, John. “Beyond the Kathakali Mystique: The Kathakali Complex: Actor, Performance & Structure by Phillip Zarrilli.” The Drama Review: TDR, 30:2, Summer, 1986. 172-175.
Emigh’s article offers an analysis of Phillip Zarrilli’s book on the practices of Kathakali. He mentions that while kathakali is well known in the performance arena of India, Zarrilli’s book goes beyond the basic understanding of dance-drama. “As such, Zarrilli’s book has much to offer both students of Indian theater already familiar with kathakali and those more generally concerned with how traditional performing arts acquire and seek to maintain their force and form.” (173). While acknowledging a few historically debatable accounts made my Zarrilli, the author is very complementary of his book. I found some insightful commentary about kathakali in this article, particularly, “The why and what of kathakali emerges in considerations of where, when, and for whom it is performed, and of how and by whom it is learned, taught, enacted, and changed. “ (173). I will use this article for the scrapbook, but probably not to a large degree.
Gargi, Balwant. Theatre in India. New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1962.
Gargi’s book serves as general overview and introduction into the world of Theatre in India. The book addresses how theatre was born in India, discusses classical and folk Indian dances, puppet theatre, and present-day regional trends. Additionally, the book mentions the differences of Indian Theatre to that of Greek drama. For example, “The Greek theory of catharsis bears no resemblance to the rasa theory of Bharata. The Greek conception of tragedy is totally absent from the Sanskrit drama, whose philosophy and view on life prohibit any death on the stage or the conclusion of a drama with the death or defeat of the hero.” (18). The author is matter-of-fact and the book is an excellent source of information for the beginner. This source is paramount in my research and has served as a base foundation for how I will be mapping out my scrapbook.
Lal, Ananda, ed. The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2004.
This book serves as a thorough encyclopedia of terminology, specific individuals, and practices relating directly to India Theatre. In addition to being in depth, the editor has found an array of photographs, pictures, illustrations and artifacts to share. Because of its encyclopedic nature, the writing was objective and rich in detail. Of particular benefit to me was the section on Natyasastra, “… the Natyasastra is the oldest extant of work on the *theory and practice of ancient Indian performance. It offers the fundamentals of theories developed later, especially those of * rasa and *dhvani. An encyclopedic compendium, it also contain elements of architecture, painting, prosody, language, grammar, phonetics, and other aspects as related to theatre, and draws on disciplines as diverse as philosophy, psychology, mythology, *ritual, and geography.” (308). This book was supple in information. It will definitely serve me well in tying together the massive amounts of information I wish to present for the scrapbook.
Richmond, Farley P., D. Swann, and P. B. Zarrilli, eds. Indian Theatre: Traditions of Performance. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1990.
The three editors of this book offer a thorough exploration of the various traditions associated with performance in India (broken down into the categories of Ritual, Devotional, Folk-Popular, Dance-Dramas, and Modern Theatre). Towards the beginning of the book, an entire section is devoted to the origins of Sanskrit Theatre and the tale of Bharata teaching the origin of drama. “At a time when people were addicted to sensual pleasures, desire and greed, and jealousy and anger, the god Indra along with some of the other gods approached Brahma, the creator, and requested that he create an object of diversion which would be audible as well as visible…” (25). In a series of essays by three different authors, the book does employ a scholarly approach to history of traditions. There is so much information, it was a little overwhelming to take it all in; however, this book will be used in the creation of the scrapbook and certainly provides a wonderful starting point or introduction into Theatre of India.
Schwartz, Susan L. Rasa: Performing the Divine in India. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
Schwartz offers a very comprehensive, yet accessible book on rasa and all the traditions that pertain to it. “The crucial elements of rasa as they pertain to food are the process of refinement, the balance of qualities, the blend of characteristics, the hidden or underlying basic elements (as stock is to soup), the particular and specific ways in which foods create physical life, and how food produces the transformation of the physical and the metaphysical at once.” (9). Her book goes on to explain the influence of religion (Hinduism) and how experiencing the “divine” is playful. She has photographs of dancers illustrating the various flavors of rasa and how Kathakali performers express the rasas. “The performer is the lens through with the larger, divine reality manifests itself.” (60). The book is written informatively and without bias. Because of its vast array of information and, more importantly, because of the ease in which the information is communicated, this is a book that will absolutely be incorporated into the scrapbook.
Thampi, G.B. Mohan. “ ‘Rasa’ as Aesthetic Experience.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 24:1, Autumn, 1965. 75-80.
Thampi’s article offers a brief explanation about how rasa combines both the aesthetic and artistic aspects of production. “In dramaturgy and in poetics the word acquired the special meaning of that unique experience we have when we read a poem or witness a play… we should bear in mind that the word rasa denotes, apart from the reader’s aesthetic experience, the creative experience of the poet and the essence of the totality of the qualities which make a poem what it is.” (75). The article discusses poetry as being an experiential art form. “In poetry it is not enough to name feelings; it is necessary to give them a local habitation.” (79). The article is written without a bias, though it came across superficial and a bit common-knowledge in verbiage. I will probably use sections of it the article that deal with the importance of rasa in performance.
Vatsyayan, Kapila. Traditional Indian Theatre: Multiple Streams. 1st ed. New Delhi: National Book Trust, 1980.
Kapila’s book takes an in-depth, historical look at the different regions of India and the types of theatre present in each. Given the massive size of the country and the various genre’s of dance-dramas present in each area, Kapila’s book offers an overview of practices such as “Yaksagana,” “Kutiyattam,” and “Rasalila,” (to name a few). For example, in describing the Bhāonā, the authors says, “Although the Bhāonā has both pure dance (nrtta) and some miming (abhinaya or nrtya), the relationship of the sung word and the gesture is general and vague and not precise and sequentially descriptive or synchronized as in Kutiyattam or even the Bhāgavatamelā forms.” (107). The tone of this book was educational, so I did not detect a bias. This source would be ideal if I were doing an investigation about the assorted theatre practices in the diverse regions; however, because that is not my focus, this source will not be used for the project.
Verma, Archana. Performance and Culture: Narrative, Image and Enactment in India. Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011.
Archana analyzes various aspects of Indian performance – visual language, eroticism, sacred narrative, etc. and how they intertwine with each other. “The narration techniques change in these different forms and they also reconstruct the narrative being told in the process of performance.” (4). The author gives a brief, fact-based introduction for each chapter and then provides textual examples of how each chapter’s theme illustrates cultural narrative. “The performance culture in India interweaves ideas from the visual, literary, theatrical, dance and cinematic forms, all of these presenting a cultural continuum within the performance tradition, rather forming compartmentalized forms of presentation.” (131). This book had some interesting sections to it, but I do not for see using it for my scrapbook.
Zarrilli, Phillip B. Kathakali Dance-Drama: Where Gods and Demons Come to Play. London: Routledge, 2000.
Author, Phillip Zarrilli dedicates the entirety of this book to Kathakali, its history and examples of it in practice (both past and present). He mentions that various audiences, regions, and interpretations all shape the nuances in the practice. So much of the book is in the specific examples provided, but the base overview is the most complete of any source I encountered. “Throughout the book, I (re)situate kathakali within the historical and socio-political particulars of each production/reception context so that the variety of subject positions from which interested discourses of theatrical practice, criticism, and reception are constructed can be identified, and the implicit ideologies of each position discussed.” (11). Zarrilli’s book is dense with information. Perhaps this source is better suited for scholars of Indian Theatre versus a mere beginner; however, it will be used when I discuss various aspects of kathakali.
Banerjee, Utpal K. Indian Performing Arts. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House PVT LTD., 1992.
Utpal’s book deals with all of the various forms of performing arts in India (including fine arts, music, dance, ballet, and cinema. The book contained many individual essays, broad in topic and scope, each discussing a different troupe, performance, or show, which made it a bit difficult to follow. I found Part III’s Insight: Theatre - Natya Shastra: The Living Heritage to be the only section that dealt with a more generalized discussion of Indian Theatre. This book would be a great source for those wanting specific examples of how every artistic medium in India is growing and thriving by combining the old practices of the cultures and religions with newer ones; however, for the purposes of my scrapbook, it will not be used.
Boner, Alice. “Kathakali.” Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, 3, 1935. 61-74.
Boner’s article offers a behind-the-scenes glance of the intricacies of Kathakali characters, design influences, and actor preparations and training. Boner includes some examples of the actors embodying various characters. Some of the noted actor preparations concern the application of make-up and the wearing of traditional costume. “The fact that the costumes are not individualized, but represent certain types, classifying them roughly into the godly, the demoniac and human, places the show at once in a symbolical sphere.” (65). The article is objective in tone and is the most accessible and useful of all the articles I found. I have found many informative sections of the article that will be utilized in my exploration of Kathakali in the scrapbook.
Chatterjea, Anaya. “Kathakali Dance-Drama: Where Gods and Demons Come to Play by Phillip Zarrilli.” Theatre Journal, 55:3, Oct. 2003. 556-558.
Chatterjea’s article analyzes Zarrilli’s thorough book on Kathakali. She goes on to say of Zarrilli that he recognizes, “the descriptor ‘classical’ is widely used in many discussions of Indian performance forms but takes care to point out both the necessary disconnect and the mobility in the understanding of such terminology.” (557). I did not detect an opinion of the author that was either praising or criticizing Zarrilli’s book. This article was a concise way of looking at a very in-depth book, but it will not be used in the scrapbook.
Chaudhury, Pravas Jivan. “The Theory of Rasa.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 24:1, Autumn, 1965. 145-149.
Chaudhury’s short article offers an explanation about rasa as it applies to emotions. For example, while explaining that rasa is not an emotion, Chaudhury says that, “Rasa is realized when an emotion is awakened in the mind in such a manner that it has none of its usual conative tendencies and is experienced in an impersonal, contemplative mood.” (145). The author rejects the conventional definitions of rasa and tries to broaden the reader to understand rasa beyond poetry. This article was too short to find substantial nuggets of information and will probably not be used for the project.
Dalmia, Vasudha. Poetics, Plays, and Performances: The Politics of Modern India Theatre. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Vasudha’s book offers a fascinating view of how Brechtian theatre applies itself to the theatre of India and analyzes various plays and productions. Its chapters read like essays that delve into topics such as how modern Hindi theatre compares to folk-traditional theatre and what are the politics (or policies) of modern Indian theatre. This author’s method of presentation is predominantly objective, but does offer some opinion about linking together the past and present theatre of India with Brechtian theatre. “The box set of drawing-room drama, along with the bourgeois perception that was part and parcel of it, had never become staple fare in India. The Indian response… was differently conditioned and went different ways. It was the primacy of the fable, as emphasized by Brecht, its joints and junctures, its historicization, and at times also its expressly political orientation, which found immediate echo in the diverse regional and folk theatre traditions…” (178). While the subject was very intriguing to me when I first chose the book, I ultimately do not see it being used as a resource for the scrapbook.
Dutt, Bishnupriya and Urmimala Sarkar Munsi. Engendering Performance: Indian Women Performers in Search of an Identity. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2010.
The authors of this book take a microscopic look at theatre practices in India and the role women played in the past (and continue to play presently). The introduction provided an interesting summary about the role of the actress (or female dancer) in the colonization of India. “Actresses seemed to be the principal players of the first phase of colonial theatre history. A plethora of actress names through memoirs, travel writings, newspaper advertisements and criticisms seem to constitute the history of ‘the theatre’.” (28). In addition to the introduction, I found the section on the Natyasastra: Emerging (Gender) Codes and the Woman Dancer, filled with fascinating facts, “… the classical dances essentially became a female domain as soon as they were formalized into the revitalized and restricted shape in the modern times, as far as the practice and performance was concerned.” (165). Though the material is about the role of women in Indian Theatre, the writing is impartial. I will be briefly discussing the role of women in the scrapbook.
Emigh, John. “Beyond the Kathakali Mystique: The Kathakali Complex: Actor, Performance & Structure by Phillip Zarrilli.” The Drama Review: TDR, 30:2, Summer, 1986. 172-175.
Emigh’s article offers an analysis of Phillip Zarrilli’s book on the practices of Kathakali. He mentions that while kathakali is well known in the performance arena of India, Zarrilli’s book goes beyond the basic understanding of dance-drama. “As such, Zarrilli’s book has much to offer both students of Indian theater already familiar with kathakali and those more generally concerned with how traditional performing arts acquire and seek to maintain their force and form.” (173). While acknowledging a few historically debatable accounts made my Zarrilli, the author is very complementary of his book. I found some insightful commentary about kathakali in this article, particularly, “The why and what of kathakali emerges in considerations of where, when, and for whom it is performed, and of how and by whom it is learned, taught, enacted, and changed. “ (173). I will use this article for the scrapbook, but probably not to a large degree.
Gargi, Balwant. Theatre in India. New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1962.
Gargi’s book serves as general overview and introduction into the world of Theatre in India. The book addresses how theatre was born in India, discusses classical and folk Indian dances, puppet theatre, and present-day regional trends. Additionally, the book mentions the differences of Indian Theatre to that of Greek drama. For example, “The Greek theory of catharsis bears no resemblance to the rasa theory of Bharata. The Greek conception of tragedy is totally absent from the Sanskrit drama, whose philosophy and view on life prohibit any death on the stage or the conclusion of a drama with the death or defeat of the hero.” (18). The author is matter-of-fact and the book is an excellent source of information for the beginner. This source is paramount in my research and has served as a base foundation for how I will be mapping out my scrapbook.
Lal, Ananda, ed. The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2004.
This book serves as a thorough encyclopedia of terminology, specific individuals, and practices relating directly to India Theatre. In addition to being in depth, the editor has found an array of photographs, pictures, illustrations and artifacts to share. Because of its encyclopedic nature, the writing was objective and rich in detail. Of particular benefit to me was the section on Natyasastra, “… the Natyasastra is the oldest extant of work on the *theory and practice of ancient Indian performance. It offers the fundamentals of theories developed later, especially those of * rasa and *dhvani. An encyclopedic compendium, it also contain elements of architecture, painting, prosody, language, grammar, phonetics, and other aspects as related to theatre, and draws on disciplines as diverse as philosophy, psychology, mythology, *ritual, and geography.” (308). This book was supple in information. It will definitely serve me well in tying together the massive amounts of information I wish to present for the scrapbook.
Richmond, Farley P., D. Swann, and P. B. Zarrilli, eds. Indian Theatre: Traditions of Performance. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1990.
The three editors of this book offer a thorough exploration of the various traditions associated with performance in India (broken down into the categories of Ritual, Devotional, Folk-Popular, Dance-Dramas, and Modern Theatre). Towards the beginning of the book, an entire section is devoted to the origins of Sanskrit Theatre and the tale of Bharata teaching the origin of drama. “At a time when people were addicted to sensual pleasures, desire and greed, and jealousy and anger, the god Indra along with some of the other gods approached Brahma, the creator, and requested that he create an object of diversion which would be audible as well as visible…” (25). In a series of essays by three different authors, the book does employ a scholarly approach to history of traditions. There is so much information, it was a little overwhelming to take it all in; however, this book will be used in the creation of the scrapbook and certainly provides a wonderful starting point or introduction into Theatre of India.
Schwartz, Susan L. Rasa: Performing the Divine in India. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
Schwartz offers a very comprehensive, yet accessible book on rasa and all the traditions that pertain to it. “The crucial elements of rasa as they pertain to food are the process of refinement, the balance of qualities, the blend of characteristics, the hidden or underlying basic elements (as stock is to soup), the particular and specific ways in which foods create physical life, and how food produces the transformation of the physical and the metaphysical at once.” (9). Her book goes on to explain the influence of religion (Hinduism) and how experiencing the “divine” is playful. She has photographs of dancers illustrating the various flavors of rasa and how Kathakali performers express the rasas. “The performer is the lens through with the larger, divine reality manifests itself.” (60). The book is written informatively and without bias. Because of its vast array of information and, more importantly, because of the ease in which the information is communicated, this is a book that will absolutely be incorporated into the scrapbook.
Thampi, G.B. Mohan. “ ‘Rasa’ as Aesthetic Experience.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 24:1, Autumn, 1965. 75-80.
Thampi’s article offers a brief explanation about how rasa combines both the aesthetic and artistic aspects of production. “In dramaturgy and in poetics the word acquired the special meaning of that unique experience we have when we read a poem or witness a play… we should bear in mind that the word rasa denotes, apart from the reader’s aesthetic experience, the creative experience of the poet and the essence of the totality of the qualities which make a poem what it is.” (75). The article discusses poetry as being an experiential art form. “In poetry it is not enough to name feelings; it is necessary to give them a local habitation.” (79). The article is written without a bias, though it came across superficial and a bit common-knowledge in verbiage. I will probably use sections of it the article that deal with the importance of rasa in performance.
Vatsyayan, Kapila. Traditional Indian Theatre: Multiple Streams. 1st ed. New Delhi: National Book Trust, 1980.
Kapila’s book takes an in-depth, historical look at the different regions of India and the types of theatre present in each. Given the massive size of the country and the various genre’s of dance-dramas present in each area, Kapila’s book offers an overview of practices such as “Yaksagana,” “Kutiyattam,” and “Rasalila,” (to name a few). For example, in describing the Bhāonā, the authors says, “Although the Bhāonā has both pure dance (nrtta) and some miming (abhinaya or nrtya), the relationship of the sung word and the gesture is general and vague and not precise and sequentially descriptive or synchronized as in Kutiyattam or even the Bhāgavatamelā forms.” (107). The tone of this book was educational, so I did not detect a bias. This source would be ideal if I were doing an investigation about the assorted theatre practices in the diverse regions; however, because that is not my focus, this source will not be used for the project.
Verma, Archana. Performance and Culture: Narrative, Image and Enactment in India. Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011.
Archana analyzes various aspects of Indian performance – visual language, eroticism, sacred narrative, etc. and how they intertwine with each other. “The narration techniques change in these different forms and they also reconstruct the narrative being told in the process of performance.” (4). The author gives a brief, fact-based introduction for each chapter and then provides textual examples of how each chapter’s theme illustrates cultural narrative. “The performance culture in India interweaves ideas from the visual, literary, theatrical, dance and cinematic forms, all of these presenting a cultural continuum within the performance tradition, rather forming compartmentalized forms of presentation.” (131). This book had some interesting sections to it, but I do not for see using it for my scrapbook.
Zarrilli, Phillip B. Kathakali Dance-Drama: Where Gods and Demons Come to Play. London: Routledge, 2000.
Author, Phillip Zarrilli dedicates the entirety of this book to Kathakali, its history and examples of it in practice (both past and present). He mentions that various audiences, regions, and interpretations all shape the nuances in the practice. So much of the book is in the specific examples provided, but the base overview is the most complete of any source I encountered. “Throughout the book, I (re)situate kathakali within the historical and socio-political particulars of each production/reception context so that the variety of subject positions from which interested discourses of theatrical practice, criticism, and reception are constructed can be identified, and the implicit ideologies of each position discussed.” (11). Zarrilli’s book is dense with information. Perhaps this source is better suited for scholars of Indian Theatre versus a mere beginner; however, it will be used when I discuss various aspects of kathakali.