When Kōlam Rebecomes
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When Kōlam Rebecomes: A performative exploration of form, philosophy and contemporary relevance of a Sinhalese traditional performance practice Subasinghe Arachchige Anasuya Subasinghe College of Arts and Education Victoria University Melbourne Australia An Exegesis Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Performance Studies) February 2018 When Kōlam Rebecomes: A performative exploration of form, philosophy and contemporary relevance of a Sinhalese traditional performance practice Subasinghe Arachchige Anasuya Subasinghe College of Arts and Education Victoria University Melbourne Australia An Exegesis Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Performance Studies) February 2018 i COPYRIGHT NOTICE © Anasuya Subasinghe (2018). Except as provided on Copyright Act 1968, this thesis may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the author. I certify that I have made all reasonable efforts to secure copyright permission for third-party content in this thesis and have not knowingly added copyright content to my work without the owner’s permission. ii ABSTRACT This research aims to explore the performative potential of the Sinhalese Kōlam tradition beyond its ‘fixed’ repertoire, to have contemporary relevance in the present socio-political context. In recognising the ideologies of preservation that define the current Kōlam practice as traditional knowledge, which manifests in its rarity on the one hand, and its common usages in the urban economic context on the other, this exploration attempts to contextualise the performance genre from a different point of entry. The perception that Kōlam is a comprehensive performance system, informed by the ontological and epistemological sensibilities of the performance maker, that in turn manifest in its aesthetic and narrative expression, is the key driver behind the research. This premodern practice, characterised by its parallel evolution to the changing social and political framework, is performed today as a ‘fixed’ repertoire with its fundamental purpose defined as preservation. Today, the presence of Kōlam in Sri Lanka is three-fold: that is, the traditional practice that continues along its ancestral ownership to traditional knowledge; the generic cultural ownership manifested in the work of scholars, theatre practitioners, the performing arts pedagogy and the presence of Kōlam in cultural commodification. However, there remains a gap in the interpretation of Kōlam as a ‘living’ evolving performance practice striving to be relevant in the contemporary socio- political and economic context. This research looks for ways of addressing this gap and is presented in the form of dramatic text and performance titled My Sweet Rotten Heritance, and an exegetical component. The creative element comprises 60% of the thesis and the exegesis, iii 40%. As a way of critically evaluating the ethical responsibilities and limitations of exploring a traditional performance system, the researcher positions her performance in a para-traditional premise, both facilitating and problematising the performance process. iv DECLARATION I, Anasuya Subasinghe, declare that the PhD exegesis entitled When Kōlam Rebecomes: Reimagining Sinhalese Kōlam Performance in a Contemporary Socio-political Context is no more than 100,000 words in length including quotes and exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. This exegesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this exegesis is my own work”. Signature Date: 07/02/2018 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Undertaking this PhD would not have been possible without the support and guidance that I received from many people. My heartfelt gratitude goes to my principal supervisor, Dr Karina Smith, for her guidance, perseverance, and sheer patience over these years. I am sincerely grateful to Dr Christine Babinskas, my former principal supervisor, whose direction was invaluable in the first two years of this research. Many thanks to Dr Deborah Leiser-Moore, my second supervisor whose continuous support in the past two years is deeply appreciated. I am thankful to the staff at Graduate Research Centre - Victoria University, for their support over these years. Traditional Kōlam practitioners, scholars and theatre practitioners participated in this research by sharing their knowledge as research informants. I am grateful for their contribution to enriching this study. Without the sheer dedication of Malith Hegoda, the production manager, and the actors Stefan Tirimanne, Jithendra Vidyapathy, Indika Ferdinando, Dinupa Kodagoda and Nadika Waligodapola, the performance of My Sweet Rotten Heritance would not have been possible. My deepest gratitude goes to them for taking this journey with me. I am indebted to artists, Sirimal Sanjeewa Kumara and Sujeewa Weerasinghe for the generosity and friendship with which they contributed to the performance. I want to thank Thuresh Manjula whose skill in wood carving is exceptional and whose masks enriched the performance. To Dinushika for painstakingly creating the costumes and Gamini Ranasinghe for constructing the set, I am entirely grateful. Many thanks to Supin Bandara who operated lights for the performance. My sincere thanks go to all who vi contributed to this production in numerous ways during the rehearsal process in Sri Lanka, and the performance in Melbourne. I am entirely obliged to Lochi Kumaradasa, for believing in me and supporting me. It was he who initiated a collective support mechanism towards organising my PhD performance in Melbourne. I am indebted to Waruna Savinda for taking on this grave responsibility and the risks involved in organising a public performance event, and moreover, for his friendship over these years. I am thankful to Prasad Wijayabandu for managing the video production of my play, and whose friendship over these years has been of the sincerest kind. My warmest thanks go to Asanka Opatha for his support and advise during the visa process, and for contributing in numerous other ways towards the production. I also thank Chin Samarakoon for supporting me in this endeavour and for his friendship. To Kusumsiri Liyanarachchi and Yasodhara Sarachchandra, the producers of The Singing Pond, who permitted me to screen their film as a fundraiser for my performance, I am truly indebted. To Upa Upadasa and the Senior Citizens Club of Waverly who offered a small but well- needed grant towards my production, I am very grateful. To the Chandrajith Family and members of the Performing Arts Circle, to Dhammika and Lakshaman Rajapakshe, Sewwandi Abesinghe, Teshani Sabaragamukorala, and many others who contributed in numerous ways to make my performance project a reality, my gratitude is immense. I also want to extend a sincere thank you to Anusha Gokula at the Department of Cultural Affairs in Sri Lanka, for providing me with a rehearsal space with the best facilities possible. To my dearest friends Mary Chan and Trevor Stacpoole, in whose home I spent the final weeks of this research, I am vii forever indebted. Mary whose generosity is genuinely remarkable, kept me nourished with delicious meals and spent long hours proofreading my exegesis. It was with the illustrations produced by Trevor that my Kōlam masks began to materialise. My love, respect and gratitude go to these wonderful people. It is with love and appreciation that I think of Indika Ferdinando, who shared his doctoral years with me, and who continues to share with me, his creative endeavours. His presence in my life has made it richer. My love and gratitude go to my brother-in-law Athula, whose kindness and sincerity are boundless. My nephews Saesh and Nevaan brought me so much joy and hope even in my most challenging times over these past years. Finally, I am thankful to my parents Tilaka and Senarat, and my sister Yasodha, without whose love, strength and presence, this journey would never have been possible. viii DEDICATION For Amma, Thaththa and Nangi ix TABLE OF CONTENTS COPYRIGHT NOTICE………………………………………….. ii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………….iii DECLARATION………………………………………………….. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………….. vi DEDICATION……………………………………………………. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………… x INTRODUCTION………………………………………………….1 An Introduction to Kōlam ……………………………………..7 The Origin of Sinhalese Kōlam………………………………10 The Premodern Kōlam Practitioner and his Socio-Religious Ontology……………………………….12 Kōlam and its Roots in the Karāva and Berava Castes…14 Karāva Caste in the Sinhalese Social Organisation…....15 Berava Caste in the Sinhalese Social Organisation…....16 The Kōlam Practitioner and Some Perceptions of Sinhalese Buddhism…………………………………….. 17 Myths of Origin: Kōlam as a ‘Ritual’ Appeasing Communal Cravings …………………………………… 21 CHAPTER 1 Literature Review and Conceptual Framework………… 26 x Part 1 Premodern and Modern Kōlam Texts ……………. 27 Scholarly Literature on Kōlam……………………… 31 Gaps in Research and Practice…………………….. 39 The Appropriation of Kōlam in Modern Sri Lankan Theatre……………………………….. 43 Part 2 Practitioners and Perceptions of Tradition………………. 46 Defining a Para-traditional Performance…………………. 49 Conceptual Framework……………………………………… 53 Sinhalese Buddhist Cosmos……………………………….. 54 Samsaric Existence……………………………………….. 55 Caste system and the Sinhalese Social Organisation…55 METHODOLOGY……………………………………………… 57 CHAPTER 2 Conceptualising