kw1

Identify some of the similarities and differences between masks in Indian genres of performance and those used in ancient Greece and Rome.

The initial difference between these differing cultures of mask usage is that we simply have more information on the use of masks in India than we do of Greece and Rome. This is due to the cultural preservation of the mask tradition at the tribal and religious levels. (I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PREVIOUS SENTENCE HELPS TO SUPPORT YOUR POINT) Other differences include the timing of performances. (HOW DOES TIMING DEAL WITH THE USE OF MASKS?) For example, Greek theatre typically only held their shows once a year for the festiVals of Dionysus. In contrast the actors of Krsnanattam performances perform 365 days a year in the temple. Another difference is that some Indian performances are similar to the Greeks and Romans in that they are solely performed for private or privileged audiences such as Krsnanattam temple performances. However, compared to the male only citizens of the Greek state, there are more known performances that are for the general public eye—purulia Chhau (500 companies), Seraikella Chhau, and Ramlila to name a few. Of what little we know of Greek and Roman masks, we do know that they were in the form of a Helmet mask. Similarly, the Krsnanattam use two helmet masks to represent Lord Brahma—a four-sided helmet mask—and a demonic figure—a 5-sided helmet mask. (GOOD POINT!) We are also aware of inner character interpretation based on the mask in Greek and Roman traditions. This is also apparent in some Indian cultures. The mask interprets the movement and being of the actor. (HOW DO MASKS INTERPRET WHAT AN ACTOR DOES? DON'T THE MASKS HAVE A FIXED APPEARANCE WHICH THE ACTOR MUST ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS IN HIS/HER PERFORMANCE?) There is also evidence for stock characters in each of these masked styles. For Greek and Roman theatre, Pollux’s catalog of masks (second century C.E.) indicates the use of stock character types used for Roman comedy vs. tragedy (11). (GOOD REFERENCE TO POLLUS BUT ARE YOU SAYING THAT POLLUX IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE STOCK CHARACTERS AND WE DON'T HAVE SUCH EVIDENCE FOR INDIAN PERFORMANCE MASKS?) There is also a clear religious component present in each form of masked theatre. For Greek theatre, Dionysus represented fertility and wine and was expected to be present in the theatrical event. For Indian theatre, many of the performances are situated around the Hindu and Buddhist supernatural beings and their story experiences. In each of these cultures, the use of masks tends to represent a larger than life stage experience. With the rise of the Hellenistic period 4th century BCE- masks began to become out sized grotesque figures similar to that of the ornamental masks of the Kathakali performances.

(NEED WORD COUNT AND CITATION OF SOURCES)