Constellation's Ramayana, a Black Box Epic
Andreu Honeycutt as Rama and Heather Haney as Sita in The Constellation Theatre Company's production of 'The Ramayana'
As with any adaptation of such a revered work, questions inevitably arise as to whether the piece disregards the essence of the source material. Or on the flip side, whether the reworking is so literal that the piece becomes bogged down in minutiae. Peter Oswald's script and Allison Stockman's direction in Constellation's show prove to be not so much a “modern take,” but rather a respectful and creative interpretation of the ancient epic.
The archetypal story centers on Rama, played here by Andreu Honeycutt. Rama is a reincarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu, who takes human form to destroy Jim Jorgensen’s Ravana, a ten-headed demon king who cannot be killed by either man nor god. Through deceit and treachery, Rama, heir to the throne of Ayodhya, loses his princely status and is forced live in the forest for 14 years. Accompanying him are his wife, Sita (Heather Haney), and his devoted brother, Lakshman (Danny Gavigan). While in exile, Rama and Lakshman deny advances by Ravana's sister, and in the ensuing dispute, leave her disfigured. To avenge this insult, Ravana and his demon court mastermind a plot to kidnap Sita. Rama is then forced to rescue Sita and confront Ravana in a final battle. Along the way are encounters with other demons, superhuman (or in this case super-primate) feats, mystical encounters, and divine interventions characteristic of classic myth.
Honeycutt and Haney do commendable jobs portraying the idealized prince and the damsel in distress. Unfortunately for them, Rama and Sita are rather one dimensional. As in the original story, the couple is surrounded by a colorful supporting cast, the skillfully depicted animals and the wickedly delightful demons, who often upstage the leads. Among these actors, Katie Atkinson, who plays the demoness Maricha, and Joe Brack as Hanuman, are stand-outs. The entire cast handled the wordy dialog well, especially considering Oswald's script often references off-stage or prior events in a way that might confuse those not familiar with the plot.
It's also noteworthy that sexual innuendo is prevalent throughout the text. In India, a country that holds a simple screen kiss as taboo, most interpretations of religious material are sterilized. Oswald puts sensuality back into the fold, without being untoward.
Much credit goes set designer A.J. Guban, and costume designers Kendra Rai and Anna St. Germain, who creatively insinuate the more mystical elements. The ten-headed demon king is introduced with five masked actors moving in reptilian unison. Gold painted bars become trees, an actress in a sparkling shawl becomes a mountain, while silky blue cloth becomes the sea and a simple rope swing creates the illusion of flight. Percussionist and composer Tom Teasley performs live throughout, adding evocative sonic elements to the overall atmosphere.
The designers made a bit of an odd choice in putting Honeycutt in blue body paint. Rama is often depicted as such, in reference to the very dark skin he is said to have had. But if the Caucasian actors aren’t painted brown, why paint Honeycutt—an African-American—blue?
A badly mispronounced word here and there provide a few cringes for those familiar with the original text, and several dance sequences and songs feel superfluous, but overall, The Ramayana is both visually appealing and entertaining.
The Constellation Theatre Company's production of The Ramayana runs at the Source Theatre through June 6, 2010 with 8 p.m. performances Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. shows on Sunday. Tickets are $15-$25.