Staging+and+Design+by+David+Gotlieb

An oil lamp, a small curtain and a space, that is all you need to perform Kathakali.

Kathakali shows are done under the sponsorship of a patron. Due to this the shows were originally done either in the front courtyard of the patron or outside the temple the patron supports. This way the wealthy patrons wouldn't have to go to far for their shows. The patron originally tended to be rulers or landholders. The only thing needed is a space about 20 to 30 square feet. Four poles are erected on the four corners of the stage area then fabric or palm fronds will be draped over them. In more recent times Kathakali is performed on more western style proscenium theatres. The actors are more limited in their entrances and exits. When they are able to the actors will make entrances through the audience it is also common for fight scenes to take place among the audience.

The audience sits with the majority of viewers in front of the stage but they also wrap around to the sides. The audience is split up with men on the right and women on the left. Around the audience area vendors will set up booths to sell tea and snacks. It is considered acceptable for the audience to talk quietly to each other and for them to get up in the middle of the show to wander in and out of the theatre or to leave early. Patrons and connoisseurs will sit very close to the stage and some times on the stage to the sides where they can focus on the show and to set an example for the audience.

There is no set decoration. The only “scenery” is a tall brass oil lamp about 3 feet tall that is called the kalivilakku. It has tightly twisted cloth in coconut oil inside. Before electricity this was the main light for the all night performances. The actors would make their entrances and exits by walking into the light of the lamp. The only other light was occasionally the actors or stage hands would carry torches, called pandam, with them like when they would be out among the audience. However now it is merely tradition that keeps it on stage. Today the light is usually standard theatrical lighting. Frequently there will be footlights to simulate the light angle from the oil lamp. There is a curtain called the Tirasila. Traditionally it was a piece of cloth that was four feet by five feet with a picture of a lotus or a god on it. Now it is more commonly a cloth about eight feet tall by ten feet wide. It is usually concentric rectangles of bright colors, sometimes with the name of the Kathakali troop in the middle. The curtain is help up by two stagehands. At the start of the show it is held in place while the musicians warm up and while the actors make their first entrance and do their prayers. It does not cover all of the stage and it is very easy to look around it especially when the audience is seated on three sides of the stage. The curtain is used in three of the five ways the actors enter the stage.

The five ways are: 1 The direct entrance from upstage right or left accomplished without curtain or special effects 2 Special entrances through the audience. These are highly theatrical entrances, usually before a battle. Most often the character is accompanied by torch bearers who light the way through the darkness. 3 The curtain is held by two stage attendants who simply drop the curtain to reveal the characters on stage. Likewise the curtain may be used to cover an exit. The stage attendants simply lift the curtain to cover the end of a scene and mask an exit. 4 A more decorative use of the curtain for entrances is the simple nokku, or the partial lowering of the curtain to give the audience a glimpse of the character about to make his first entry. Pacca (heroic) characters often use the curtain in this way. 5 The most complex and exciting use of the curtain for entrances is the tiranokku or "curtain look" used by katti, bearded characters, hunter, or animal, i.e. the evil, rough, dangerous characters of the kathakali stage. A vigorous piece of set choreography accompanies the exited manipulation of the curtain as such characters "tease" the audience by manipulating the curtain back and forth, up and down, until finally the curtain is taken away to fully reveal the character. (Zarrilli)



There are not a lot of props used in Kathakali. The only furniture is a simple wooden stool that is used any time the actors need to sit. It is used to represent everything from a mighty throne to a rock in the forest. Other than the stool almost everything is pantomimed from the whip used in riding a charriot to a musical instrument being played. The exceptions are weapons; Gada (a large mace), a bow and arrow, swords, shields, pondi (a small club). The weapons are made of wood and painted red and gold. The other exceptions are sometimes a carpenter character will carry a small ax and when Bhima is pretending to be a servant he will carry around a ladle.

Other than this the stage is bare. Because Kathakali is a one day event, when in proscenium theatre it is usually performed in front of what ever the theatre has on stage. This usually means a black curtain but sometimes it will be in front of a box set from what ever show is currently being done there. Also the patron clubs that have sponsored the show will often hang a banner somewhere on the stage with their name on it. All though this may be odd for western audiences this practice is completely ignored by Kathakali connoisseurs

The stage is set up with the musicians on stage behind the actors. The characters are usually set up with the more powerful character on the right side of the stage because traditionally the right side is the side of respect.

All of this to a western audience member may seem very odd but it is done this way for two reasons. Tradition is very important to this style of theatre so even though they no longer need to they keep the oil lamp. Also it is to put focus on the actors who have undergone extensive training and are doing very specific and subtle things to convey the story. It is all about the actors.

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Sources and Further Reading [|The Kathakali complex: actor, performance & structure - by] [|Phillip B. Zarrilli] [|The Art of Kathikali] [|Kathakali - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia] [|Kathakali page of carnaticindia] [|KATHAKALI NEWS: new events/programs] [|Kathakali.net] [|**Props, Rituals** and Customs of Kathakali]