A constant source of inspiration for theatre buffs
G.S. PAUL
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Finnish theatre person and director Maya Tangeberg-Grischin has been visiting Kerala for the last 25 years to study the traditional performing arts of the State.
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DEDICATED: Maya Tangeberg-Grischin
It has been a memorable year (2005) for the renowned Finnish thespian-director Maya Tangeberg-Grischin as it marked the Silver Jubilee of her annual visits to Kerala.
Ever since she first visited the State in 1980, Maya has been a perennial source of inspiration to amateur theatre activists in Kerala. She has conducted numerous workshops and productions for theatre buffs, especially for students of the School of Drama, Aranattukara.
Her romance with Kerala was ignited by a Kathakali performance she happened to see in Paris. In 1980, she rushed to Kerala to meet the globetrotting Kathakali exponent Krishnan Namboodiri who was working in the School of Drama. Namboodiri asked her to familiarise herself with the intrinsic traits of female characters in the performing arts of Kerala, before studying Kathakali. Her training in Mohiniyattom and Bharatanatyam under Kalamandalam Kshemavathy was a rewarding exercise in helping her gain an understanding of classical art forms. Narippatta Raju, who continues to be a close associate in all her artistic ventures even now, initiated her into Kathakali. She even staged `Poothana Moksham.'
But what does she find so interesting in these art forms?
Manifest interest
"I am interested in the borderline between theatre and dance. The Kerala dances are excellent manifestations of abhinaya, an aspect that is almost lost to the European tradition. There is a lot that could be adopted from them to enrich our own theatre and mime. It is not the techniques as such but the conventions," she replied.
Her solo mime performance in Thripunithura in 1998 was a turning point in her life. The leitmotif of the show was Holy Theresa's longing for Christ. She was told that her artistry had much in common with Koodiyattom. And this was confirmed when she was able to watch a Koodiyattom performance at Natanakairali, Irinjalakuda. Soon, she became a disciple of Usha Nangiar.
Her association with Usha augured well for Maya and, more significantly, for Koodiyattom. Over the past few years, Usha could embark on quite a few projects like `Mandodari' and `Draupadi' on account of Maya's financial backing.
These plays have been described as trailblazers in Koodiyattom. "I am sure Koodiyattom will be enriched as several feats of these female characters are appearing on the stage for the first time," Maya said.
Even though paucity of funds is a major bottleneck, absence of good performing space is a major lacuna. In this connection, she underscored the need for small auditoria in each town in Kerala.
Asked about her future plans, Maya said, " I have already registered for a doctorate in the university at Helsinki where I teach now. The topic for my research is `Revival of European pantomime based on the conventions of Nangiarkoothu.' But I will be back here again next year to draw from the rich storehouse of Kerala's performing arts."
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