Expressive gesture
V. KALADHARAN
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Borris Duassa-Pastor says the training methodology of Kathakali could play a significant role in theatre and dance.
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Topics of social concern such as transgender issues can become a topic of discourse in my theatre.
Inspired by Kathakali: Borris Duassa-Pastor.
Spanish thespian Borris Duassa-Pastor, who is doing his doctoral dissertation in theatre at Hunter College, City University of New York, enchants you with his observations of Kerala society.
Theatre person
Borris has always been interested in histrionics. A Kathakali workshop by Kalamandalam John left an indelible impression on Boris, then a student of physical theatre at Barcelona. “Its discipline and training techniques caught my attention and motivated me to learn Kathakali.”
Since then, Borris has been coming to Kerala for training in Kathakali.
‘Kathakali training - Gurukula system to modern education,’ his short thesis for his graduate programme at Hunter College, earned him appreciation in academic circles. “Coming to Hunter was itself an enriching experience. A Fulbright scholarship gave me the opportunity to study Western theater. But I have not stopped stage performances. Whenever I return to Barcelona, I do theatre presentations with my troupe. It is an exciting experience.
“My shows are seldom totally subjective. I maintain a responsible relation with the society I live in. Topics of social concern such as transgender issues can become a topic of discourse in my theatre. But no pre-written scripts are used. Plots happen. Situational improvisations are a character of my theatre-presentations. But unlike the Brechtian epic-theatre, my presentations are not message-centred. They only pose questions to the audience.”
Bi-lingual book
Borris feels that the training methods used in Kathakali to make the body supple and strong is universally significant as a tool in dance and theatre. Hence he decided to write a bilingual book on it. The recently released book titled ‘Meyyurappadavukal,’ co-authored by John, has a brief description, in Spanish and English, of the training techniques in Kathakali and many photographs covering the entire training methodology.
Borris says, “One should employ Kathakali techniques with care when using it in any other medium of expression. I have never tried to use the hand gestures and expressions of Kathakali out of its context. But the information on its training methods is invaluable. Certain techniques such as the eye-exercises are an indirect inspiration to those working in modern theatre. So if you ask whether Kathakali is present in my creations, I would say, yes. But its influence is neither direct nor concrete.”
For this down-to-earth theatre artiste, Kerala and Kathakali are an enduring passion. And the book is, perhaps, his way of showing respect and affection to the artistic traditions of Kerala.
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