RAIN UPDATE & LOCATION CHANGE:
The event will now take place indoors at our theater at 32 Station Street, Brookline. In order to accommodate all attendees, our schedule for the evening will include two performances:
5:30 pm | Lobby opens
6:00 pm | Performance #1, followed by time to try a puppet and visit backstage
7:45 pm | Performance #2, followed by time to try a puppet and visit backstage
Handmade puppets will be for sale in the lobby for the duration of the event!
The Summer Outdoor Series is Pay-What-You-Can! Please RSVP so we can plan for seating space. You will be invited to make a Pay-What-You-Can contribution of $0-20 per person.
About the August Show
Scenes from the Ramayana by Tholpavakoothu Puppet Centre
Presented in English
Experience shadow puppetry by firelight! Witness scenes from the dramatic epic Ramayana, complete with scenes of battles, trickery, and the natural world, performed by masters of Tholpavakoothu, a traditional form of shadow puppetry from Kerala, India. Come at 7:00 pm to try your hand at manipulating the handmade leather puppets, with guidance from our visiting artists; and then as dusk falls, stay to see a performance.
Even puppet fans may never have seen shadow puppetry like this — the screen is illuminated by 21 lighted lamps made of coconuts cut in half, filled with coconut oil and lit with cotton wicks. About 160 puppets are used for this performance!
LOCATION CHANGE: This event will now be held at our theater at 32 Station Street, Brookline. There will be two performances to accommodate all attendees: one at 6:00 pm and one at 7:45 pm.
All ages welcome; recommended for everyone 4 and up! No matter your age, you will be delighted by the storytelling, drama, and skill displayed in this traditional art form.
About the Artists
Tholpavakoothu Shadow Puppet Theatre
Father and son Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and Rahul Koonatharaa are 11th- and 12th-generation masters of Tholpavakoothu, respectively. Traditionally practiced in Hindu Devi temples as ritual performance, Tholpavakoothu has also been popularized outside of the temple setting by Pulavar and his family through public performances. Their performances include renditions of ancient Indian classics like Panchatantra, the life stories of important figures like Mahatma Gandhi, and stories that explore contemporary social issues like women’s empowerment. Padmashri Pulavar has performed around the world and has received numerous awards for his artistic and cultural contributions.
Ramachandra Pulavar
Ramachandra Pulavar studied Tholpavakoothu with his father and guru from the time he was six years old. He quickly became an accomplished practitioner of the craft. Pulavar has performed around the world and has received numerous awards for his artistic and cultural contributions. Learn more about Pulavar and Tholpavakoothu here: http://tholpavakoothu.in
Rahul Koonathara is a M. A. candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies at University of Connecticut, Storrs. He comes from a traditional puppetry family in Kerala, studied at the National School of Drama inBengaluru, and has an MA in Folklore Studies from University of Calicut. His writing on Indian puppetry has been featured in journals and book chapters. In 2023 Koonathara collaborated on Ramayana: A Tale of Trees and Wood, an intercultural shadow puppet production that toured the northeast US.
This event is supported in part by the Brookline Asian American Family Network; the Town of Brookline Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations; and the Brookline Community Foundation Youth Development Grant program.
About the summer outdoor series
This summer, we're bringing puppetry outside! Join us at One Brookline Place, right across the T tracks from our theater, for Pay-What-You-Can outdoor puppetry experiences.
July: Magnificent Monster Circus
Encounter magnificent creatures from the wilds of your imagination as their quirky human caretaker tries to teach them new tricks in this colorful show from CactusHead Puppets!
August: Tholpavakoothu: Shadow Puppet Play of Kerala, India
Experience shadow puppetry by firelight! Witness scenes from the dramatic epic Ramayana, complete with scenes of battles, trickery, and the natural world, performed by masters of Tholpavakoothu, a traditional form of shadow puppetry from Kerala, India.
September: Mr. Twister and the Tale of Tornado Alley
Be part of the show with Mr. Twister — a family-friendly opera, with puppets! Come early to make your own puppet and be a part of the action as Mr. Twister uses his magic telescope in this adventure about science, climate, and weather.
The Summer Outdoor Series is supported in part by the Brookline Community Foundation Youth Development Grant program.
