As part of the grand opening of its new exhibition Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry on August 4, the Ballard Institute will present a free performance of Tholpavakoothu: The Shadow Puppet Play of Kerala by Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and his son Rahul Koonathara.
This ancient, ritually rooted performance is based on verses from the Kamba Ramayana, the Tamil version of the Hindu epic the Ramayana. The performance includes 71 different characters, and over 160 different shadow figures. While traditional Tholpavakoothu shadow theater takes in temples as ritual performance, Ramachandra Pulavar and his family have popularized the form by performing a variety of stories of contemporary social relevance, about Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus, and the empowerment of women, as well as performances based on traditional tales from the Mahabharata and the Panchatantra. Tholpavakoothu shadow figures follow four main design categories: sitting, standing, walking, and fighting puppets, as well as puppets depicting nature, battle scenes, and ceremonial processions. The performance, in English, will last 45 minutes.
Seating is limited, so reserve in advance: https://bimp.ticketleap.com/tholpavakoothu/
For more information, contact: Ballard Institute at 860-486-8580 or bimp@uconn.edu