Common aspects of scenography in outdoor ritual performances: an exploratory study

Abstract

This paper explores common aspects of scenography in outdoor Ritual performances Rural, ceremonial, Rituals and festive events present the performance environments or atmospheres and engage people making a platform on which their views, experience, lifestyle, and beliefs system are shared. These rituals contain the origins of theatre and scenography as type of art. Mostly, these platforms are structured and built on religious, spiritual, and devotional grounds. It is the composition of space, text, research, performance, performers, spectators (devotee) sound, lighting, and colour and composition. People of Batticaloa, in general, are involved themselves creating rituals, fairs, and festivals. This study focuses on the Maariyamman ritual in Kalumunthanvely, Batticaloa district to examine scenography aspects of ritual and investigate the practice, creation and presentation. This study analyzes how participants organize scenery in nature, how scenography aspects function in the Maariyamman ritual, and how the materials are identified and executed in outdoor performance. The study examines the space, text, colour, composition, performers, and spectators. Moreover, the study explores the disclosure of its character type, determination of the space of action. Further, the study ensures the understanding of scenography aspects and the process of the ritual performance. The study uses both primary and secondary data to understand common aspects of the scenography in ritual performance. In this study i) the researcher’s observation during the rituals and ii) interviews with participants and devotees are primary tools of data collection. And secondary data are obtained from the source materials in libraries, online, which include both published and unpublished works that are related to scenography and rituals.