Visually stunning production imparts Buddhist messages

  UCLA Performing Arts Ratan Thiyam
presents The Chorus Repertory Theatre in its North American debut
of "Uttar-Priyadarshi." It will run in Royce Hall from Oct. 12-14
at 8 p.m.

By Alicia Cheak
Daily Bruin Contributor

For the past 25 years, audiences abroad have been treated to
Ratan Thiyam’s cinematic depictions of war and peace through
the Chorus Repertory Theater of Manipur. This weekend, Royce Hall
will host Thiyam’s 1996 masterpiece,
“Uttar-Priyadarshi,” or “The Final
Beatitude.”

Unless one closely follows Indian theater and dance, or keeps up
with the international theater and festival scene, neither the
company nor its work may ring a bell.

The company’s obscurity may be due to the fact that fall
2000 marks the company’s first appearance in North America.
Sunil Kothari, a dance critic and UCLA professor of dance,
explained why Uttar-Priyadarshi is worth experiencing.

First, there is the imagery of the production, a spectacle that
is achieved by incorporating music, chanting, singing, movement and
monologues in the telling of a moral story.

Thiyam’s eclectic background accounts for his
multi-faceted approach to theater. A son of Manipuri dance masters,
Thiyam studied painting before moving on to writing novels, poetry
and reviews, several of which are published.

“I started reading plays, besides writing reviews. I felt
the need for professional training,” said Thiyam, citing an
interest that led to formal training at the National School of
Drama in Delhi.

Having gained repute as both actor and director, Thiyam returned
in 1976 to Manipur and established the Chorus Repertory
Theater.

A two acre plot of land on the flood plains just outside Imphal
was purchased and served as home and rehearsal space to Thiyam and
his troupe. This land still houses the company, which, according to
Kothari, has stuck together through hardships for more than 30
years, abiding by the motto, “Bread, if not
butter!”

Perhaps it is this unity that enables the company to perform
with such force and precision. The troupe demands that all actors
be trained in every aspect of production ““ be it dancing,
acting, music, martial arts, stage craft or design. In fact, it was
Thiyam’s cohesive and novel approach that first caught the
eye of Kothari.

“I was very much taken aback by the wonderful work they
were doing in theater,” Kothari said, recalling his early
encounters with the director and his company.

With his integrated approach to theater, Thiyam, who dons the
hat of writer, director, designer, musician, painter and actor, was
able to seamlessly yoke different modes of storytelling
together.

“(Thiyam uses) exquisite lightning, costumes, and the
highly demanding technical training of his company,” Kothari
said, pointing out that part of the reason he joined Thiyam, was to
extend his own understanding of the nature and possibilities of
theater.

That was 20 years ago, and, according to Kothari, Thiyam
continues to push the boundaries of performance ““ using
theater as a mirror of society as well as the arena for
manipulating and exploring space, movement, light, poetics and
color.

In Thiyam’s latest work, “Uttar-Priyadarshi,”
the fable-like Priyadarshi is adapted from a lyrical poem by Hindi
playwright, Sachitanada Vatsyayana. It tells of a second century
B.C. emperor, Ashoka, who, faced with the atrocities of war,
creates his own hell to purge the guilt and shame he feels.

Abiding by the principles of violence and war, Ashoka appoints
the ferocious Ghor as the executor of torture and punishment, but
Ghor soon takes control and overpowers Ashoka.

It is not until a Bhikshu, or monk, enters hell in peace and
with the message of hope that Ashoka is truly redeemed. Through
remaining calm, serene and steadfast, the monk remains untouched by
the evil. Ashoka follows the monk’s example and, in turn,
overcomes the evil within himself.

If any of the themes sound familiar it is because it is Ashoka
(known later as Priyadarshi) who goes on to spread Buddhism
throughout India. The precepts of Buddhism and the message of peace
over violence are clear throughout the play.

“Thiyam’s plays are almost always morally motivated
because of the conditions under which he lives. The state of
Manipur is characterized by insurgency and the people wanting
separation from the main Indian Union,” Kathori said.
“(Thiyam) is describing the reality of his world. But it is
also the reality for many others, outside of Manipur, outside
India.”

According to Thiyam and Kathori, Ashoka is not so different from
modern man ““ considerably wealthy in the material sense but
lacking spirituality.

The production is appealing to Western sensibilities, even if
the audience lacks knowledge of the Manipuri language and
aesthetics.

“The staging of Priyadarshi has advances over earlier
productions in that it is an experimentation of theater as an
expression of language,” Kathori said.

Through body language and the training of actors, the troupe
translates the Manipuri tongue into a cinematic and visually driven
language.

This transformation immediately cuts across barriers
universally, consequently allowing the play to speak to audiences
in many countries. Kathori added that, based on his experiences
with audiences abroad, the message is clear because the symbols
speak for themselves.

“The show is so visual, it is so stunning, even with the
subtitles, they are helpful merely as an entry point,”
Kathori said about what one could expect from the production.

When asked how audiences in America have thus far responded to
Priyadarshi, Kathori said simply, “It leaves a great
impression.”

THEATER: Ratan Thiyam’s Chorus Repertory Theater presents
“Uttar-Priyadarshi” (The Final Beatitude) at Royce
Hall, Oct. 12-14 at 8 p.m. Student tickets are $9, available at the
CTO or www.sca.ucla.edu. For
more information, call (310) 825-2101. Kathori will lead a
discussion of the play one hour prior to the performance. Free to
ticket holders.