Ramayana Performance

In class on wednesday we watched the WM performance of the Ramayana. I hadn't realized that there wasn't any talking in the show, so it kind of threw me off at first. I think also the fact I haven't finished reading the whole Ramayana made some of the action confusing in the show. I really really liked in the beginning how all of the monkeys were speaking in different languages, and I'm pretty sure they were speaking languages that they themselves speak fluently. I didn't catch on at first as to what was going on, but after a little bit I figured it out and thought it was really neat. I am a little unsure as to why exactly it was decided to do that. Was it because the story being told is something that we can all learn from and grow from, and is not only for people from a certain country? Was it that the story crosses all time and all places and thus all languages? I am not quite sure

I found myself paying special attention to the playing of the gamelon during the show. I took a WOrlds of Music class last year, and we spent a section learning all about the gamelon and its significance and how it is played. I was fascinated by this section of the music class, and we all went to see a gamelon show at WM, which was also great. I thought it was great how all of the instruments were displayed right up there on stage, rather than Americanize it and put them in an orchestra pit or something.

I was a little thrown off since I have a version of a theatrical Ramayana in my head since my choir back home premiered a version of it with Lookingglass Theatre. I keep meaning to meet with you, Francis, during office hours to talk about my experience and I want to give you a copy of our CD. We performed a musical, entitled Sita Ram, and it focused on the love story between Sita and Rama. It was such a phenomenal experience and I learned so much about the Ramayana and the culture. The choir performed the parts of the monkeys and sang as the chorus throughout the show, while professionals played the major roles, but on our CD it is all kids in the choir singing. I want to write more about my experience another time and track down that music!