How Kerala’s Rangaprabhath has been a child’s play over 50 years on

On September 19, children performed short plays at their houses in the Alumthara village of Venjaramoodu, 25 km from Thiruvananthapuram, as part of a drama procession organised to mark the 52nd anniversary of Rangaprabhath Children’s Theatre. The village is not new to such events ever since the launch of Rangaprabhath, a community-oriented children’s theatre, in 1970.

When veteran dramatist and playwright G Sankara Pillai and his disciple Kochunarayana Pillai launched Rangaprabhath to provide education to the children through art in Alumthara, it raised many eyebrows. However, Kochunarayana Pillai, who worked as a teacher at a primary school nearby, was firm. He would ride his bicycle as fast as he could to reach Alumthara to train the students assembled there. A staunch devotee of Mahatma Gandhi, Pillai’s method of training was different.

To attract the students initially, Kochunarayana Pillai included story-telling sessions. The training was conducted without charging any fees from students, so children from the nearby villages flocked to Rangaprabhath in the evening. The practice that Kochunarayana Pillai started over 50 years ago is still on. And the door of Rangaprabhath is open to all children. KS Geetha, daughter of Kochunarayana Pillai, said Rangaprabhath has produced many artists and it has become a centre where children can learn the basics of life through art. “We provide training in theatre, dance, folk arts, music and puppetry,” she said.

Being the first children’s theatre in Kerala, Rangaprabhath has completed 52 years of active service in the field of children’s education and their skill-development. “Rangaprabhath has groomed scores of children to become accomplished performers and writers. At the same time, the core idea of the institute is not to train one to become a consummate artist, but to be a good human being. We have been following the simple techniques that my father developed to train students through the basic elements of theatre. So there is no competition. It is a world where you learn the basics of life without compulsions from the outside world,” said Geetha, president of Rangaprabhath.

At Rangaprabhath, the children are divided into three groups, to provide training based on each one’s age. Kadambam, the first one, is meant for beginners between five and 14 years old. While Kalari is meant for students between 15 and 25 years, Kalam is for those who have crossed the age of 25.

Once a student, always a student. Rangaprabhath is thriving example of this thought. Anil VS joined Rangaprabhath when he was seven years old. “We were new to theatre. But there was no compulsion so we enjoyed the training sessions at Rangaprabhath. We all liked the institution more than our school those days. It was an eye-opener for me and my friends,” said Anil VS, former deputy director, department of tourism, Government of Kerala. A couple of years ago, Anil returned to Rangaprabhath after his retirement from government service. “I am still a student of Rangaprabhath. And we are in the process of learning,” he said.

Many experts on theatre helped Kochunarayana Pillai in his venture. S Ramanujam, a prominent theatre artist and dramatist who helped revive modern Tamil theatre, was one among them. “I first met Kochunarayana Pillai at a theatre camp in Sasthamkotta, a village in Kerala’s Kollam district, in 1967. I still remember the role of a judge that Kochunarayana Pillai played in CJ Thomas’s play called ‘Crime Number 27’. The idea of Rangaprabhath was born during a conversation held after the play,” wrote Ramanujam in a souvenir published to mark the seventh death anniversary of Kochunarayana Pillai in 2014.

What made Kochunarayana Pillai stand out as a teacher?

“Children want to learn but hate to be taught. I tell my students to shout while I take classes. A student obtains a sense of freedom when he is allowed to express his ideas loudly in front of his teacher. A good teacher’s job is to make an assimilation process for students. Kochunarayana Pillai’s method of teaching was based on the elements of nature. It gave a sense of freedom to students, mentally as well as physically,” wrote Ramanujam, who passed away in Thanjavur in 2015.

The ‘Prof. S Ramanujam Memorial Building’ on the premises of Rangaprabhath stands testimony to the association of Ramanujam with Kochunarayana Pillai and his institute.
Rangaprabhath, according to Geetha, produced more than 200 plays since its inception in 1970. Each play is a lesson and they deal with social, political and cultural issues.

“Pushpakireedam was the first play of Rangaprabhath. I played a small role in it. My father never tried to differentiate between children. He treated everyone with equal love and care,” said Geetha.

Although Kochunarayana Pillai was able to lay the foundation of a prominent centre of art-oriented education in Kerala, the journey of Rangaprabhath proved challenging after his death. Geetha felt a vacuum immediately after her father’s demise in 2007.

“Running an institution like Rangaprabhath was challenging. I didn’t know what to do. But the lessons that I learnt from my father came to my rescue,” she said. The conferment of G Ramachandran-Ikeda Award to Rangaprabhath in 1999 was a great recognition for the significant role played by the institute in children’s education through performing arts. It also won the GD Birla International Award in 2005. Rangaprabhath has been affiliated to National Bal Bhavan, New Delhi and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi.

The students of Rangaprabhath have been travelling to various places in India to participate in theatre festivals. The institute conducts theatre workshops regularly with modern techniques. “I joined Rangaprabhath when I was six years old. I attend regular theatre training sessions. The teachers are good,” Akhil, a student, told The Federal.

A black and white picture of two huts on the wall, taken in the late 1970s, attains significance, as they point towards the beginning of Rangaprabhath. The huts were replaced by a building designed by British-born Indian architect Lawrence Wilfred popularly (‘Laurie’ Baker) who was known for his cost-effective architecture later. Besides, the institute maintains an open theatre, dormitory for guest students and teachers, a library and a guest house on the premises.

Rangaprabhath gets support from the state and central governments. The alumni of the institute, according to Geetha, remain the pillar of strength. “Our alumni are our strength. Otherwise, we will not be able to run an institution like this for a long time. We need more children to join us for which the doors of Rangaprabhath will always remain open,” she said.