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first story-based theatre. The same families of artists have been doing kutiyattam in the millenium since its beginnings, teaching each generation in turn, and it is their far distant descendants who will be in Washington later this month.
Until 1960, kutiyattam could be seen only in the temples of south India. But with its discovery by western scholars, the ancient story theatre left the temples and came out into the world to be performed on concert stages in Japan, Poland, France, West Germany and the United States.
To date, Kutiyattam Theatre has played in major urban centers. Now, thanks to Julie Portman, her Golden Key Performance Group, find a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy, this national treasure from rural India will perform in a rural setting here.
Ms. Portman spent two years as a Fulbright Scholar in Kerala studying kathakali, the more popular and widely known derivation of kutiyattam. “As Kabuki is to Noh, so is kathakali to kutiyattam,” she explained, laughing when the explanation drew just another puzzled look.
At the same time, Ms. Portnrum was there, Dr. Farley Richmond was also in Kerala, studying kutiyattam. It was Richmond who arranged for the Kutiyattam Theatre Troupe’s current six months residency at the State University of New York, sponsored by the Asian Cultural Council. When Ms. Portman learned of it, she called her old friend, the result being the troupe’s two-dav seminar, workshop and performance in Washington.
The Rappahannock County towm is the base for Ms. Portman’s Golden Key Performance Group, its mem
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