Performing the Ramayana Tradition

Preface and Acknowledgements: The Journey of the Book List of Illustrations Note on Transliteration I. Orientations and Beginnings 1. The Ramayana Narrative Tradition as a Resource for Performance Paula Richman 2. Thinking the Ramayana Tradition through Performance Rustom Bharucha 3. Where Narrative and Performance Meet: Nepathya's Ramayaṇa Saṃk?epam Rizio Yohannan II The Politics of Caste 4. Shambuk's Severed Head by Omprakash Valmiki Translation by Aaron Sherraden 5. Recasting Shambuk in Three Hindi Anti-Caste Dramas Aaron Sherraden 6. The Killing of Shambuk: A Retelling from a Director's Perspective Sudhanva Deshpande III Interrogating the Anti-Hero 7. Ravana Center Stage: Origins of Ravana and King of Lanka Paula Richman 8. Ravana as Dissident Artist: The Tenth Head and Ravanama Rustom Bharucha 8a. Script of The Tenth Head Vinay Kumar 8b. Script of Ravanama Maya Krishna Rao IV Performing Gender 9. The Making of RamaRavana: Reflections on Gender, Music, and Staging Hanne M. de Bruin 10. Writing Her "Self": The Politics of Gender in Nangyarkuttu Mundoli Narayanan V Conversations and Arguments 11. Reflections on Ramayana in Kutiyattam David Shulman, Margi Madhu Chakyar, Dr. Indu G. with Rustom Bharucha 12. Questions around Ram Vijay: Sattriya in a Monastic Tradition Sri Narayan Chandra Goswami with Parasmoni Dutta, Paula Richman, and Rustom Bharucha 13. Performing the Argument: Ramayana in Talamaddale Akshara K.V. VI Beyond Enactment 14. Revisiting "Being Rama": Playing a God in Changing Times Urmimala Sarkar Munsi 15. The Night Before Bhor Arti: Play and Banarasipan in the Ramnagar Ramlila Bhargav Rani 16. The Challenges Ahead: Researching the Ramayana Performance Tradition Rustom Bharucha Glossary List of Contributors Index