Political conscientisation through street theatre: a study with reference to Kalyanasaugadhikam

Abstract

Theatre occupies a significant place in any revolutionary political strategy that has as its objective a radical transformation of society. This paper attempts to make a thematic and structural analysis of the Malayalam street play Kalyanasaugadhikam written by Anil Nadakavu in 2009 and performed by Manisha Theatres, Thadiyankovil, Kasaragod, Kerala, India. It is also an exploration into the politics behind the production and consumption of every cultural product in our society, with a special reference to the political implications and aesthetics offered by the street play Kalyanasaugadhikam.

戲劇在試圖帶來社會急劇的革命政治策略中一直佔有重要地位。本文試圖對馬拉雅拉姆語的街頭戲劇Kalyanasaugadhikam進行主題與結構分析，該劇由Anil Nadakavu於2009年創作，曾被馬尼什劇團Thadiyankovil與 Kasaragod搬上舞臺。同時，本文還特別結合了街頭戲劇Kalyanasaugadhikam所呈現的政治隱喻與美學價值，探討了我們的社會上文化產品的形成與消費背後的政治含義。

El teatro ocupa un lugar significativo en cualquier estrategia política revolucionaria que tenga como objetivo una transformación radical de la sociedad. Este ensayo intenta realizar un análisis temático y estructural de la obra Malaya de teatro callejero Kalyanasaugadhikam, escrita por Anil Nadakavu en 2009 y representada por Manisha Teatros Thadiyankovil en Kasaragod. Es también una exploración dentro de las políticas detrás de la producción y el consumo de cada producto cultural en nuestra sociedad, con especial referencia a las implicaciones políticas y estéticas ofrecidas por la obra callejera Kalyanasaugadhikam

Keywords:

• conscientisation
• street theatre
• consumerism
• discourse
• culture industry

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Notes

1. Imaginary flower signifies human desire portrayed in Mahabharata.

2. Colloquial word for yemaraj (death).

3. One of the most popular classical instruments of Tamil Nadu and the world's loudest non-brass acoustic instrument.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. Y. Eldhose

Adakkaravayalil Yoyakky Eldhose is a research scholar at the Department of Comparative Literature, Central University of Kerala, India. He is currently writing his Ph.D. thesis on Theatre of Terror and Trauma: Verbatim Theatre Politics of Post 9/11 Performance. His areas of interests include theatre studies, trauma studies and cultural theory. He has completed his MA and M.Phil. in English Comparative Literature from Central University.