Constellation Theatre Company’s latest production is The Ramayana and for those who don’t know, the god Rama was depicted as a noble creature with blue skin, long before Avatar hit the scene.
The introduction to this ancient Sanskrit epic reminded me of our times, with the mention of people killing each other for sport and the notion that parents do not have answers for their children.
In action that takes place before the play begins, Rama a prince is exiled from his homeland and his brother Lakshman and wife Sita accompany him. You might think the whole exile thing would be the main challenge Rama faces, but it’s cool. Although Rama is the rightful ruler of his homeland, a humble younger brother will take his place and is happy hand the throne back to Rama after his fourteen years of exile are up.
When it becomes apparent that they will have a very different fight on their hands, Rama, who is god in human form, tells his wife Sita, a goddess herself, “For this we were born.” The story follows his journey to save Sita after she is captured by Ravana, a ten-headed demon. It is Rama’s story, but as is often the case, an ever-noble hero can be, well, a little dull. Comic relief is provided by Ravana and his minions, as well as by the animal friends Rama makes in his quest to save Sita. With the appearance of Rama means that one of the monkeys, Hamuman, is also set on a path to fulfill his destiny.
It cannot be easy to adapt a great Sanskrit epic, yet I must say there are some spots where I felt there were gaps that had to be left out. The story is long and the language is a little uneven in places. It all starts out very flowery and while I imagine there were one liners, even in ancient epics, some of them seem out of place. Audiences may also ponder why Rama, who went to so much to find Sita, is not sure he still wants her when he does find her . In a tale that has monkeys who rap and mention going to school, we still find age-old gender issues at play.
Of course, as always, I am amazed by Constellation’s ability to transform the space at the Source Theater into a different world. That, plus the musical stylings of indefatigable Composer, Live Performer and PercussionistTom Teasley. Teasley uses a variety of instruments, plus his own brand of scatting to evoke the mood for each scene.
It is an interesting and entertaining story overall, but I have to say that my favorite quest tale as performed by Constellation is still Crazyface.
See The Ramayana at the Source Theater from May 6 to June 6
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3pm
Source Theatre
1835 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC
Comments
This play should be banned. It was a desecration of a classic epic, littered with inaccuracies, and made a mockery of the characters which are the bedrock of India's cultural consciousness. Several other audience members were left confused and disappointed at this poorly construed, unentertaining and misleading drama. The playwriter, Oswald, must be condemned. In a time where Indians around the globe face discrimination and hate because of their religious identity, and Hindu belief and practice continues to be widely misunderstood due to exoticized portrayals of it being caricaturized in “caste, cows and curry” fashion, appropriately retelling the Ramayana as a tremendous contribution of ancient Hindus to the world is imperative.
Disappointed Viewer-
I received this e-mail from Consteallation Theatre Company--
"Constellation has created a blog as a forum to encourage open discussion of our play and of the larger ideas found in The Ramayana. Viewpoints both positive and negative are welcomed and should be shared with kindness and respect.
Please visit our blog at www.constellationtheatre.wordpress.com to share your thoughts."
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!