Andreu Honeycutt and Heather Haney in Constellation Theatre Company's "The Ramayana." Photo credit: Daniel Schwartz
Which would you rather be – a god, a demon, or a monkey? In Constellation Theatre Company’s production of Indian epic The Ramayana, the answer is definitely a monkey. I haven’t seen actors having so much fun on stage in ages. At times, maybe too much fun. Mounting a multi-character multi-location multi-verse is daunting, and I admire director Allison Arkell Stockman for attacking something so challenging even larger companies might balk. Constellation’s mission is to produce “epic, ensemble theatre” with “heightened physicality” – and The Ramayana is definitely all that. When it wavers, it’s the fault of being too generous, of allowing too many focal points and not streamlining enough. But it’s still an enjoyable night out, playing now thru June 6 at Source Theater.
The Ramayana is one of two of the most beloved and sacred texts of India (the other, The Mahabharata, was also put to stage in Peter Brook’s famous version some twenty years ago, see the film sometime to get a taste of how fantastic that theatrical experience was). It details the trials of Lord Rama as he endures exile and the kidnapping of his wife Sita by the demon Ravana. Rama is the incarnation of Vishnu and represents the ideal king on earth, his wife Sita is the incarnation of Vishnu’s wife Lakshmi and therefore the ideal queenly wife. Actually, every character in The Ramayana is an archetype of the ideal way to behave – from loyal brother Lakshman to devoted monkey Hanuman.
With so many characters travelling through many worlds, it’s vital to have a backbone and here Stockman has picked the best – live music composed and performed by percussionist Tom Teasley. From playing the doumbek to scat singing, he pulls the audience along as a kind of musical narrator, and it’s easily the second most riveting performance of the evening, grounding time and place far more effectively than any set design.
The actors are clearly envigorated by Teasley’s musical support, and no where is that more obvious than with those delightfully crazy monkeys, highlighted by a stellar standout performance by Joe Brack. If Brack doesn’t get a Helen Hayes nomination for his work as Hanuman, there is no theatrical justice in this town.
Complete and fearless dedication to physical theater is a hallmark of Constellation’s style, and both the monkey and demon ensembles that Lord Rama encounters are perfect examples of their mission to push the envelope. There’s a fine line between going over the top and just chewing the scenery, and not all of the ensemble have mastered that discipline. But given time, they will.
Playwright Peter Oswald’s original English production some ten years ago was noted for a bit of controversy in the irreverent way it presented such a cultural treasure. But I’m not sure an American audience comes to it with the same expectations (so I would be fascinated to hear any feedback from those with a strong Indian cultural background). If anything, the portrayals of Rama and Sita are too reverent in this production. A bit more irreverence may have helped both Andreu Honeycutt and Heather Haney – enchanting and engaging actors that here seemed a bit lost and too remote in their quest to both embody the divine and make the audience care.
When the action drags, it’s almost always when the actors stumble into playing emotion rather than concentrating on getting what they want – a common problem with a young company. My sympathies were tipped towards others in the story making themselves more present, like the demon queen Mandodari, played with burning conflict by Misty Demory, or the long-suffering Lakshman, a noble Danny Gavigan.
Jim Jorgensen with Ashley Ivey, Amy Quiggins, Katie Atkinson, Dylan Myers, Abby Wood in Constellation Theatre Company's "The Ramayana." Photo credit: Daniel Schwartz
As Rama pursues his quest to rescue wife Sita, it’s really the characters he interacts with that gain our hearts, especially those monkeys. Brought to life as a true ensemble by Dylan Myers, Amy Quiggins, Katie Atkinson, Ashley Ivey, Andres Talero and Abby Wood, they instantly enliven the somber tone and remind us that epics can be, well, fun. Jason McCool amusingly bumbles through monkeyland as Jambavan, the king of the bears who inadvertently starts an animal vendetta, and Katie Atkinson steals hearts as constantly complaining monkey Nila. All are wonderfully costumed and masked by designer Kendra Rai, who also repeats the feat with the demon hoard and their multiple heads.
I always feel guilty singling out performances in what is really an ensemble piece, but as I mentioned before, Joe Brack as Hanuman needs to be recognized. Brack’s commitment to physical theater is unmatched and he is truly fearless about going over the top. He manages to combine both the physical and vocal characteristics of a primate with the exuberance of the discovery of the divine. It’s a courageous performance and should be the benchmark for the Constellation style.
Epic theater needs to be multi-cultural not just in its subject matter but in its casting as well, and though I understand Constellation is a small company with a core group of talented actors, frankly for a global epic I wished it could’ve involved more diversity. But that’s a quibble I have no idea if could be helped or not. What’s important is that this is an inexpensive night out with talented DC artists working to create something lasting in a brilliantly fun genre. It’s a company ending its tenth show with its third season, and I’m eager to watch them as they continue expanding.
The Ramayana
Constellation Theatre Company
at Source Theatre
1835 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
Tickets 800.494.8497 and online
As one of the founding editors of We Love DC, Jenn’s passions are theater and cocktails. After two decades in the city, she’s loved every quirky, mundane, elegant, rude minute of her DC life. A proud advocate for DC’s talented drinks scene, she’s judged the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s ARTINI contest, the DC Rickey Month contest, the Jefferson Hotel’s Quill Cocktail competition, and is a founding member of LUPEC DC. A graduate of Catholic University’s drama program, she toured the country as a member of National Players, and has been both an actor and a costume designer before jumping the aisle to theater criticism. Writing for We Love DC restored her happiness after a life-threatening illness, and she’s grateful to you, dear readers. Send your suggestions to jenn (at) welovedc (dot) com and follow her on Twitter.
Brack was unrecognizable as Hanuman (both because of make-up and his body movements). Brack’s Hanuman was possibly the most lovable character too, and I wanted every scene to involve him in some way.
check out more of my review on my blog mytheatreramblings.blogspot.com
I thought Hanuman was a god?
I’ve never seen the Ramayana in a play form but saw it danced in several forms in Indonesia. Definitely an enjoyable performance (in the ballet I saw, the deer that tricks Sita out of her protective circle was definitely the highlight of the production!). I didn’t feel like it was particularly reverent in Indonesia, although nor was it irreverent at all. It was treated much the same way a Cinderella or Snow White production would be here–the respect was more related to the form of the production that the treatment of the story.
Julie, you are right, Hanuman is a god. In this play he starts off not knowing his origins – part of the fun of the characterization is his discovery of his divine powers.
I am an Indian from Mumbai, India. I went to see this play a couple of weeks ago and absolutely loved it…it was very well researched. There are quite a few things that only if someone who has done a good amount of research can potray, and they did just that. A must see!
Thanks for the “insider” feedback, Rupen! Gaurav Gopalan was the dramaturg on the production and it was certainly well-researched.
Yes, and Gaurav is a friend :) but I didnt know that he was so good with his work etc. I have worked on a cookbook Ganges – A Culinary Journey and read a lot about Hinduism so I was ready to walk out if things didnt look good…but I am glad that I stayed, and was very impressed!
This play should be banned. It was a desecration of a classic epic, littered with inaccuracies, and made a mockery of the characters which are the bedrock of India’s cultural consciousness. Several other audience members were left confused and disappointed at this poorly construed, unentertaining and misleading drama. The playwriter, Oswald, must be condemned. In a time where Indians around the globe face discrimination and hate because of their religious identity, and Hindu belief and practice continues to be widely misunderstood due to exoticized portrayals of it being caricaturized in “caste, cows and curry” fashion, appropriately retelling the Ramayana as a tremendous contribution of ancient Hindus to the world is imperative.
As an Indian from India (born and grown up in India), I saw this play and LOVED IT, although I understand that a couple places they have taken liberty, but this is okay to make the western audience understand it, just like butter chicken and chicken tikka masala!