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Tholpavakoothu Shadow Puppet Play of Kerala, India
October 28, 2023 @ 4:00 pm - 6:15 pm
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.
Sign up for this FREE event here. https://www.eventbrite.com/…/tholpavakoothu-shadow…
Handmade puppets will be for sale in the lobby for the duration of the event!
4:00 – 4:30 pm – Registration
4:30 – 5:00 pm – Try a puppet and visit with the performers behind the scenes.
5:00 – 6:15 pm – Introduction, Ramayana performance, and Q&A with artists.
This event is provided at no charge, thanks to a grant from the Stuart Foundation.
Know the Artists
Rahul Koonathara – is the younger son of legendary shadow puppet master Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and Rajalakshmi, born to a traditional lineage of puppet practitioners preserving the temple traditional art form tholpavakoothu for the past 12 generations.
Rahul Koonathara – is the younger son of legendary shadow puppet master Padmashri Ramachandra Pulavar and Rajalakshmi, born to a traditional lineage of puppet practitioners preserving the temple traditional art form tholpavakoothu for the past 12 generations.
Presently, he is a graduate student at the University of Connecticut in the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies under the guidance of Professor Matthew Isaac Cohen.
Rahul has completed his bachelors degree in Physics and Masters degree in Folklore studies and specialized acting degree from National School of Drama, Bangalore.
Rahul has led major roles in traditional and contemporary shadow puppetry productions in the theatre company Tholpavakoothu & Puppet Centre in national and International festivals across the globe.
Anthony Sellito Budney – is an educational and puppet expert at Ballard Institute Museum of Puppetry. He has graduated from the University of Connecticut puppet arts program.
Gokul Krishnan – is a graduate student at Electrical Engineering department at the University of Connecticut. He is pursuing research in Shadow puppetry and Machine learning.
