Source: San Francisco Weekly
SAN FRANCISCO, U.S.A., March 13, 2003: The ambitious retelling of the epic Hindu myth, Ramayana, hits its stride with the A.C.T. Conservatory’s production. This epic story of King Rama, exiled by his stepmother and forced to wander the Indian subcontinent with Princess Sita and a number of friends before he rises again to his rightful throne, is one of two story cycles that serve as epic sources of Hindu myth. Until they’re needed onstage, New York director Ruben Polendo has actors sit quietly around the floor at little mirrored tables doing their own makeup. Jeffrey Evans plays his own score on a variety of bells and drums. Near the middle of the story, the action hits full stride with the stories of Hanuman, the monkey king, and his straw-dressed ape-men retaking the ancient island of Lanka from Ravana and his men. The show is worth the price of admission and offers a rare taste of traditional Hindu theater.