Lokadharmi Nadakaveedu

The group was inaugurated by the noted artist MV Devan in November 1991. And the first major activity was a 2-week workshop with Kavalam Narayana Panikkar; he penned and directed a play named Mamathil, which turned out to be the first production of Lokadharmi. From the day of the inauguration, the focus was on training actors and we started a continuous training program that runs on all Sundays, which continued without a break, till the theatre was temporarily closed due to the pandemic of Covid 19.

Productions

Lokadharmi is now one of the foremost theatre companies in India. It has established its presence in the theatre scene in India with 39 productions, of which 6 were collaborative works with different theatre groups from India and abroad and 9 were children’s plays performed by Mazhavillu, the children’s theatre wing of Lokadharmi.

The productions of Lokadharmi are based in the performative traditions of the country and introspective of the contemporary reality of the day. Lokadharmi’s debut play in 1993, Karnnabharam, was critically acclaimed and since then, the group has various plays that emphasize Lokadharmi’s belief in interdisciplinary practice as reflected in their adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Tempest, titled Chathankattu in Malayalam. Major productions include Medea (Euripides), Shakuntalam, Oru Nayattu Kadha – Shakuntalam, the tale of the Hunt (adaption of the play by Kalidasa by Chandradasan), Kaali Natakam (Sajitha Madathil), Visvavikhyathamaya Mookku– The world renowned Noose (based on the story by Vaikom Muhammed Basheer), Thathamaram –The Parrot tree (Chandradasan), Draupadi (Chandradasan), Charandas Chor (Habib Tanvir), Agleyum Cliyopatrayum (Chandradasan), Poranadi (K.N.Panikkar), Chaayachitram/Maayachitram (Jebin Jesmes) all directed by Chandradasan and Andha Yugam (Dharma veer Bharathi) directed by Sudheer Babu, all plays in Malayalam.

Other important productions consist of Nandan Kadha (Tamil play by Indira Parthasarathy), Macbeth (William Shakespeare), Pattabakki (K. Damodaran) all directed by Chandradasan, Madura Kandam (H.S.Shivaprakash) directed by R. Raju, Bhagavadajjuka – Mattavilasa (a juxtaposition of two Sanskrit comedies by Bodhayan and Mahendra Vikrama Varman) directed by V.R.Selvaraj, Innalathe Mazha (an environmental production directed by Ullas Mavilai based on a novel by K R Mohanan), Kadassikali (End game by Samuel Becket) directed by Jithu Johny and Dojoji (Yukio Mishima), adapted and directed by Jebin Jesmes, all plays in Malayalam.

PRODUCTIONS OF LOKADHARMI; KEY FEATURES

A common element that runs across almost all of Lokadharmi’s production is experimentation with the traditional and the modern to present a narrative that comments and questions certain themes, leaving the audience not just as a silent spectator but as an active thinker throughout the process. The first production Karnnabharam, a milestone production in Indian theatre, which has completed more than 335 shows, reflects the Indian society and its caste prejudices, and has set the tone for other productions that Lokadharmi continued to create over the years. Most of the productions adapted a classic text or literary source, viewed through the lens of a contemporary social/political/cultural scenario.

This feature is further seen in the production of Kaali Nadakam, written by Sajitha Madathil, where the play focused on gender issues, justice, and women’s empowerment through the female deity Kali, an angry goddess, who refuses to settle down silently on the injustices bestowed on the female. This experimental production also straddles between folk theatre forms Mudiyettu, Kaliyoottu, and realistic theatre to create a contemporary narrative.

The intertwining of folk tales and contemporary issues is seen in Thathamaram, a children’s play by Mazhavillu, the children’s theatre wing of Lokadharmi. It creates a life on stage that moves between the real and the surreal using different mediums such as music, movement, and choreography. By taking stories from folklore and connecting them to the immediate reality, the play appeals to audiences of all age groups. While Kaali Nadakam creates a mythical world through the depiction of an untamed goddess, Thathamaram raises a world of fantasy through a speaking tree with language and scent that transcends human sense. Though the play is geographically rooted in Kerala through the association of flora and fauna particular to the region, the narrative appeals at a larger level as the story takes on the oral tradition of folklore.

The group does not restrict their adaptations to Indian plays and works, but takes on literature from around the world as well as seen in their re-visioning of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra in their version titled Agleyum Cliyopatrayum. The play is also based on a Lithuanian folk tale about Egle, a farmer girl who is forced to marry the serpent god and be his queen. This layered adaptation looks into the various forms of love as well as contemporary female experiences through already-established classical characters. By inventing narratives from existing tropes, Lokadharmi continues to experiment with the multifaceted nature of theatre.

Lokadharmi has also adapted short fictional works and poetry, rendering voice to characters that are confined to a page. Veteran Malayalam writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s story Viswavikhyathamaya Mookku has been adapted into a play of the same name by Chandradasan and Terry Converse with elements of experimental theatre as seen through the use of language and movements. Lokadharmi experimented with the use of masks and gibberish in this play along with physical movements and vocal patters in acting; all the actors were wearing masks throughout the play and did not use many costumes, makeup, music, or lighting. This play was commenting on the absurdity of the socio-political situation and the mundaneness of contemporary society.

The productions feature an array of performances, ranging from multi-act musicals to one-act performances. While Thathamaram featured a cast of children, a single performer transformed between Egle and Cleopatra through the course of the play Agleyum Cliyopatrayum. Most of the productions that are culturally and historically rooted require a study and research about their origins, cultural and social history, and continuity beyond the time and place to permeate to the present-day reality. The inevitable presence of dramaturgy is seen in most of these productions as well. The works of Lokadharmi know no boundaries as they transcend the rigid genres and structures that conventional theatre follows, creating a fluid space where tradition and the modern mingle to breathe life onto the stage.

Even though the productions and workshops of Lokadharmi explore systems from various schools around the world, it is maintaining Indian Theatre forms as the fundamental base and is rooted deeply in the performance tradition, history, life, culture, and ethos of the land.

Performances

Lokadharmi group has extensively toured India with several of its productions and has about 800 performances to its credit to date. These productions have won National as well as International acclaim for their production, design, and direction, and acting at various multilingual theatre festivals that include Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the International Theatre Festival of India at New Delhi, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2012, META New Delhi 2008, and 2018, ITFoK the International Theatre Festival of Kerala, India Theatre Olympiad Cuttack, North East Festival organized by NSD, Bahuroopi Theatre Festival by Rangayana Mysore, National Festivals organized by the State Natak Academies of Rajasthan, Orissa, and National Festivals organized by different institutions and cultural organizations etc. Karnnabharam was performed at the Theatre Olympics Bangalore in 2018.

Lokadharmi’s adaptation of Euripides’ Medea in Malayalam was performed in The Circle of South Earth, the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama 2001; Medea was performed in the cities of Pelos, Kalamata, and Athens. Also, the play Soorppanakha has traveled to Joensuu Finland.

Within India, Lokadharmi has performed in major festivals in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Tripura, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Diu, and New Delhi. Besides we are extensively performing in Kerala including the city of Kochi, towns, and villages throughout Kerala spreading the awareness and message of meaningful Theatre. Most of the productions of Lokadharmi are adaptations of classical dramatic literature with a modern rendition. In fact, a common element that runs across almost all of Lokadharmi’s production is experimentation with tradition and modern sensibilities, to present a narrative that comments, interrogates, and asks questions on contemporary life.

Lokadharmi received for Karnnabharam, the coveted Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) in 2008 for Best Play, Best Costume Design, and Best Stage Design. With it, Lokadharmi became the first regional language group to bag META accolades. Also, Kaali Nadakam received 8 nominations in META 2018.

Lokadharmi Training School and Sunday Workshops

Workshops have been an integral part of Lokadharmi, with their first forum in 1992, headed by the eminent theatre personality Kavalam Narayana Panikker. The tradition of the workshop has continued to date with theatre scholars and practitioners from around the world hosting sessions to introduce various techniques.

The theatre training school has its regular sections on all Sundays and has been on the run without any break since October 1991. Visiting Faculty from around the world had done workshops and training sessions that enriched the experience and perspective of theatre training in the new era. In the acting training workshops in which the participants are introduced to acting, aesthetics, history, and culture of theatre and performing arts. A holistic approach to theatre and acting involving basic training in martial art forms of Kalaripayattu, Yoga, Classical Theatre Kathakali, Koodiyattam and Mohiniyattam, and traditional folk forms like Chavittunatakam, Mudiyettu, etc. contribute and enhances the faculty of the actor. Equipping people with various skill sets, the sessions are impro oriented that facilitate creativity and craft in performance. The acting program blends realistic and stylized, traditional and modern, classical and folk, and western and eastern approaches

The Sunday workshops in the theatre training school introduced actors and aspirants of theatre to different acting/theatre disciplines and systems ranging from Classical and Folk performance forms such as Kathakali, Kutiyattam, Mohiniyattam, Mudiyettu, Ottanthullal, Chavittunatakam, to physical disciplines such as Kalaripayattu and Yoga, Survey of world theatre from Greek Theatre, Shakespearean theatre, Epic theatre, different trends/schools in Modern and postmodern theatre and more. The study also gives special thrust on the history and development of theater all over through world; the change in perceptions and modes of theatre during different ages and the link of theatre to the political, social cultural, and technological history are undertaken. These holistic approaches to acting and theatre enriches the faculties of the potential actor. The visiting faculty who engaged in workshops include Patrick Vella (Malta), Erin Mee (USA), Kathleen Mulligan (USA), John Martin (UK), Mariana Silva and Juan Cruz Bracamonte (Argentina), and Andrea Díaz (Mexico). Lynda Alper (USA), Ralph Yarrow (UK), Pirkko Kurikka and Tuire Hindikka (Finland), Anne Dubos (France), Zita Vilyutete (Lithuania), and others. Masters like Habib Tanvir, Usha Ganguly, Probir Guha, Swathi Mohan, Raghu Nandana, Margi Madhu, Deepan Sivaraman, and many others have done workshops at Lokadharmi.

Lokadharmi has been conducting its acting training sessions on Sundays continuously since 1991 when hundreds of actors and technicians got training. Many of the alumni of Lokadharmi have established themselves as theatre and movie actors, theatre and movie directors, academicians, theatre writers, and technicians. Many distinguished theatre directors, actors, musicians, technicians, academicians, and researchers from various parts of the world have associated with Lokadharmi in their creative pursuit, sharing their expertise with the artists of Lokadharmi.  Seven of our artists have been awarded with junior fellowships, thirteen with senior scholarships, and nine with CCRT scholarships by the Department of Culture, Government of India.

Many of the alumni of this training program have undertaken advanced training in Institutes like ITI Singapore, NSD New Delhi, and NSD Bangalore, ‘École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Paris, FTII Pune, School of Drama Trissur, Sree Sankara the University of Sanskrit Kalady, Central University Pondicherry, etc.

Lokadharmi conducts short-time workshops with specific areas in focus. Led by guest trainers highly experienced in each area, these workshops are interactive and have been one of the popular initiatives of Lokadharmi which is held once in two months. Earlier workshops include a 14-day workshop on Noh Theatre conducted by the Noh artist Emily Curtis initiated a new perspective to the participants. Theatre actor, director, and actor trainer Patrick Vella from Malta often visit Lokadharmi to conduct workshops on physical acting and devised theatre. Lokadharmi’s regular association with artists/directors/playwrights from Finland resulted in many workshops and collaborative projects. A 10-day residency workshop with artists from Finland and India allowed space for both cultures to interact, resulting in a production that featured language and traditions from both countries. Lokadharmi’s celebrated production Viswavikhyathamaya Mookku is a result of another collaborative workshop with Dr. Terry Converse from the USA on a Fulbright Fellowship, who led a month-long workshop on masks. The play is directed by Chandradasan, the Artistic Director of Lokadharmi, and Terry Converse.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Lokadharmi also associates with various schools, colleges, NGOs, and other organizations to introduce and celebrate theatre by holding workshops and training sessions for them. Also, Lokadharmi extends directorial and technical help to campus theatres and rural groups in their production. Over the years, the group has done workshops and interactive sessions in various villages and campuses throughout Kerala, to train and initiate children, young enthusiasts, and teachers to the theatre.

The organization also offers internships for students who are interested in theatre and production.

Mazhavillu, the Children’s Theatre.

Lokadharmi also has a dedicated wing for children’s theatre known as Mazhavillu (rainbow) where kids below the age of fifteen are trained and exposed to theatre. Mazhavillu is working since 2000, which did major productions as well as regular weekly workshops and annual summer camps. Mazhavillu has produced many major productions that were performed all over India. The productions include Charandas Chor (Habib Tanvir), Alibabayum 40 Kallanmarum (Chandrasekhara Kambar), Thathamaram (Chandradasan), Bommanahalliyile Kinnara yogi (Chandradasan based on the Kannada Poem by Kuvempu) which has been performed in Jashne Bachpan at NSD New Delhi, Soorya Festival Thiruvananthapuram, National Theatre Fest at Ahmedabad, etc.

One important activity by Mazhavillu is a workshop/summer camp on Performance Art conducted in the months of April from 2002 onwards. Professionals from different art fields, along with academicians take classes and give practical training. Subjects of the training are acting, voice training, script writing, music, painting, mask making, introduction to folk and traditional forms, literature and language, Yoga, Kalaripayattu, along with basic training in performance art forms that are related to theatre. 60 students between the ages of 7 and 16 are allowed to attend the camp. At the end of the workshop, the students are given a chance to perform in a public event and awarded their certificates.

We have Mazhavillu, the theatre workshops for Children every Saturday from 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. in collaboration with Kerala Museum MN Foundation held at Kerala Museum, Pathadippalam, Edappalli.

Nadakaveedu as a Cultural Hub

Within a short span of time, Nadakaveedu has grown as a major cultural hub in Kochi. Nadakaveedu has hosted performers from different fields ranging from plays and street circus to electronic music concerts, various dance forms, traditional performances, music shows, film screenings, and discussions from India and other parts of the world

Theatre groups from Argentina (Mandragora Circo) and New York (This is Not a Theatre Company) have performed here, bringing global theatre to a space filled with theatre enthusiasts from different parts of Kerala. Nadakaveedu hosts different performances every month and invites audiences from diverse regions and communities. Artistes of Kanglei Mime Theatre Repertory Imphal, Manipur have presented a non-verbal play titled No Budget, directed by Yumnam Sadananda, Apart from theatre, Nadakaveedu also hosts music performances such as Ghazal evenings, flute concerts, Hindustani concerts, and electronic music concerts and dance forms. This space is a communion of all art forms, cultures, and traditions and a place for all art enthusiasts, transcending boundaries. Nadakaveedu has witnessed theatre performances, concerts, seminars, and symposiums, and regularly hosts film screenings, literary evenings, music concerts, various dance forms, etc.

Lokadharmi gives special thrust to traditional and folk performances pertaining to different regions. Festivals dedicated to these art forms have been hosted over the years where performers from Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Kerala have showcased their indigenous traditional dance/performance/ ritual forms. Classical and folk performances like Mudiyettu, Chavittunatakam, Chimmanakkali, Kutiyattam, Ottanthullal, Parayan Thullal, Nangiar Koothu, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, etc. were regularly organized.

Lokadharmi curates workshops, and hosts seminars and symposiums on a range of topics over varying periods. These talks do not follow the conventional mode but are rather an interactive and inclusive mode, bridging pedagogy with praxis involving cutting-edge interface activities. A discussion on Gender and Performance organized with the support of USIEF focused on the treatment and role of various genders in theatre, and performance forms and expanded to other life spheres including sports and social life. A mix of lawyers, researchers, academicians, sportspersons, social activists, and theatre/performance artists presented their experiences over this three-day symposium.

Nadakaveedu has a technical work area, (where carpentry, set making, mask, property and costume making, painting, etc) can be done. Provision to store set, stage furniture, properties, costumes, musical instruments, lighting equipment, etc. constitutes the storage space.

Folk and Traditional Performances

Lokadharmi gives special importance to traditional and folk performances. We hosted a North East India fest held on January 1st, 2019 in association with Bharath Bhavan and the south zone cultural center. More than 45 artists from Assam, Tripura, and Manipur performed various traditional dance forms of North East.

We have hosted Traditional forms from Kerala including Chimmanakkali, a traditional north Malabar folk performance performed by Kannur K Kumaran at Lokadharmi Nadakaveedu Chavittunatakam, Kutiyattam, Nangiar Koothu, Ottanthullal, Mudiyettu, and Parayanthullal. These performances were witnessed by a large number of people.

Music and Dance

Music and Dance has been another important event we host in Lokadharmi, as we believe that Lokadharmi should be a meeting point of all expressions in art. Important among them was a Hindustani concert on Harmonium, violin and Tabla performed by Paromita Mukherjee from Kolkata and Retnasree Iyer. We had a five day workshop on Mohiniyattam with Dr. Sunanda Nair and her solo performance. We have also organised Kuchipudi, and concerts of Santoor, Avant garde post-classical concert by Salim Nair, Hindustani Flute concert and Desi western band.

Besides this we have hosted many theatre groups from Kerala with their productions.

COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS

Lokadharmi has undertaken collaborative and intercultural work with many groups and institutes from India and abroad. One of the ongoing collaborative works is with De Montfort University Leicester UK, in a Research project on Mental Health Literacy using Theatre as a Research Tool. We have done a collaborative production with artists from Finland named Two Mothers in the Realm of Death. Also, students from foreign countries visit and take short term courses in the Indian methodology of Acting and Indian Theatre and aesthetics. Also, researchers on Theatre from India and abroad visit and collaborate with Lokadharmi.

THEATRE FESTIVALS

Lokadharmi has organized theatre Festivals and also hosted many productions. The National Theatre festival organized in 1997 where groups from Manipur, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Pondicherry, and Kerala Performed was an important event. This festival showcased plays and also traditional and folk forms along with seminars and meet the artists. Another important festival is Pranamam organized in 2015, to mark the 80^th birthday of Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. The one-week festival showcased plays directed, written, and translated by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. Important productions from Sopanam including Avanavan Kadamba, Karnnabharam, Malavikagnimitram, and Ottayan performed by Ashish Vidyarthi, were performed to packed houses. MS Sathyu, and Anuradha Kapur were part of the dignitaries that participated in the festival.

REGULAR PERFORMANCES

Lokadharmi house performances from India and outside regularly. We organize monthly performances of theatre, Dance, Folk, and Traditional Forms, Classical theatre, music, and monthly film shows. Lokadharmi Nadakaveedu has become a cultural hub in Kochi with these performances of Theatre, different Dance forms, traditional Folk and Classical Art Forms, Musical performances, Film Screenings, and discussions. Numerous artists from India and other parts of the world have performed here. These performances create an interaction between artists of different forms, and styles and will mutually benefit and will enrich the practice of theatre. The visiting groups include MANDRAGORA CIRCO from Argentina, who did a 2-day workshop on the 26^th and 27^th of January 2018 on physical skills, acrobatics, juggling, non-verbal acting, and clowning. Mandragora circo performed their play ‘Mandragora Circo on 28^th January 2018 which attracted an audience beyond language.

This is not a Theatre Company from New York USA another group that performed the play named Theatre in darkness, Carpe Diem which was a multi-sensory theatre piece directed by Erin Mee.

IN HER EYES On Dec. 13, 2016, Lokadharmi presented a two-piece mime performance for the public. “In Her Eyes”, performed by mime artists Celia Dufournet from France and Irfana Majumdar (USA). Two solo performances exploring the positions and representations of Women and Power.

No Budget is a mime play performed at Nadakaveedu by the Artistes of Kanglei Mime Theatre Repertory Imphal, Manipur which was directed by Yumnam Sadananda

SEMINARS AND SYMPOSIUMS

Lokadharmi organizes seminars, symposia talks, and discussions on various aspects of performance. A three-day Seminar/workshop on ‘Gender and Theatre’ held from the 22^nd to 24^th of September, 2017 was one among them which was supported by USIEF. The interactive and informal round table sessions of the workshop were inspiring with the participation of renowned personalities from various walks of life. The purpose of the workshop was to introspect and share ideas and experiences related to gender equality in performance arts, especially theatre. The workshop ruminates gender insensitivity as a multi-dimensional universal issue: all workspace performance could be related to theater performance; therefore, it took a rather cognitive stand, so that the effort taken is percolated in nature and would trespass time. A series of talks on Natyasastra by Dr.KG Paulose is another important one.

LOKADHARMI FILM STUDY CIRCLE

A screening of at least one film per month, followed by a discussion on various aspects of that particular film, and repeated viewing invite people to an in-depth study and analysis of various aspects of films. These discussions approach movies differently, prompting the audience to critically analyze a film and cull out features that contribute to the film’s value and merit. The screenings include film classics by masters, movies of foreign languages as well as Indian films of high aesthetic value, and parallel films that do not get a theatre release, followed by interactions with filmmakers and discussions.

Lokadharmi Theatre Talk Series

Since May 2020, after the pandemic struck, and we were forced to shut down our activities temporarily, we started conducting a talk series every Sunday, with speakers from across the theatre fraternity, which we called the ‘Lokadharmi Theatre talk series’. An exciting mix of senior theatre practitioners, academics, and young artists participated in these talks and interactions from across the world. Each talk turned out to be serious in-depth introspection that marked the artistic journey, aesthetics, history of performance, and training system in different genres of Indian theatre. Stalwarts like Richard Schechner, Bansi Kaul, Neelam Mansingh Chaudhary, Anuradha Kapur, MK Raina, Prasanna, Kirti Jain, Dr.KG Paulose, Abhilash Pillai, Deepan Sivaraman, Sudhanva Deshpande, Chandradasan, Neelam Mansigh Chaudhary, HS Shivaprakash, Balwant Thakur, Hema Singh, Rashi Bunny, Subhadeep Guha, Erin Mee, Govindraju Bharadwaje, Kapila Venu, Dakxin Chhara, Souti Chakraborty, Anamika Haksar, Probir Guha, Margi Madhu, and Ramanjit Kaur are few names who had shared their experiences on a wide range of topics. The talks are in zoom and also live on the Facebook page of Lokadharmi, which were well received and a lineup is already in place.

This talk series is to remain a monthly event for artists from all over the world to meet, interact and engage in a dialogue. These sessions are recorded and kept in the archive of Lokadharmi and also uploaded to the YouTube channel, Lokadharmi Theatre Kochi.

Their work has been so seminal that we felt it was important to publish these talks into two volumes, (of roughly 300 pages each), so as to make them available to a wider readership, and scholarship for future referencing. Keeping this in mind, we appointed an editorial board and have been transcribing and editing selected talks. We have a diversity in the compilation, ranging from Indian methods in Acting, Different approaches to actor training, Actor and Space, Production and Process, Adaptation of Shakespeare in India, Post-dramatic performances, the acting tradition of Natyasastra, Parsi Theatre, Devising Productions, Theatre Management, Intercultural collaborations, Political Theatre and Theatre of Resistance, Paradigms of Folk Theatre, Bhand Pather and Kashmiri theatre, etc.