7 minute read
Dramaturgical
from Yoga Play Program
DIPIKA GUHA
Playwright Dipika Guha was born in Calcutta and raised in India, Russia, and the UK. She moved to the United States to pursue playwriting, eventually earning an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama where she studied with Paula Vogel. The following are excerpts from various interviews.
PLAYWRIGHT DIPIKA GUHA. PHOTO: JESSICA BENJAMIN.
ON YOGA PLAY
“It’s a play about yoga and Capitalism and what it means to be yourself.” (Interview with South Coast Repertory)
“As someone who’s adapted to new places so many times, I’ve seen how much of my identity I’ve either adopted or dropped for survival reasons. If this is true for all of us, then how do we really know who we are? This question gains political heft in a time when our sense of who we are is dividing us more than uniting us. I find myself returning to this question urgently in my work, whether it’s through comedy or through a more serious or lyrical lens.” (Interview with The Playwrights Center)
“I had been thinking of California . . . and the desire for both authenticity and wealth, and yoga seemed to be at the nexus of that.” (Interview with South Coast Repertory)
“The tensions of world views in this play, of yoga, which is buried in an Indian religion and Hinduism, and the way it is interpreted, I hope there is a space and generosity in looking at appropriation and space for questioning it and laughing at it.” (Interview with South Coast Repertory) “Displacement and the different languages of displacement and the theatrical language of displacement have always been in my work, but this is the first time it has been through the lens of comedy.” (Interview with South Coast Repertory)
ON THEATRE
“My grandparents were refugees, my parents immigrants, the memory of a very bloody partition and great poverty is part of my inheritance. So deciding to throw myself wholeheartedly into theatre knowing only that I loved it was very risky. But it’s given me a kind of soul peace I am continually grateful for and a profound gratitude for all the people who have continually supported me along my path, most especially for Paula [Vogel] who had faith in my work before I had any myself.” (Interview with The Playwrights Center)
“[Paula Vogel} speaks a great deal about defamiliarisation or making the familiar strange and the strange familiar. She made me feel like there was space in this form to create new ways to see the world. Getting to study with Paula who is a formalist and fundamentally interested in how you can change the form to say what you want to say really allowed me to feel free in my writing. I connected to her pedagogy because growing up in multiple languages—literal languages and also emotional landscapes— theatre felt like a natural form for me.” (Interview with The Playwrights Center)
“I actually very rarely see work on stage that represents international, bi-, or tri-cultural perspectives held by a single play. I’m interested in how we move in the world when so many of us are moving across the world, adopting lands that are not our own and choosing family structures we did not grow up with. Globalization is, of course, not a new phenomenon. So I’m as interested in stories of people who ‘immigrated’ and ‘assimilated’ in ancient history as I am in our time. I want to see more of this.” (Interview with The Playwrights Center)
“I didn’t just like theatre—I loved it right from when I was a child. I had a visceral reaction when I was onstage. When I was seeing theatre and doing it myself, I was so unspeakably happy just somewhere really deep. It took a long time to realize I could be brave enough to do it. I didn’t know how to make a living at it. There were no artists in my family. I took a long time to decide I loved it enough to throw myself at it.”(Interview with Emily Wilson for 48hills)
YOGA
According to the official public diplomacy page of the Indian government, “Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. It is an art and science of healthy living. The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body.”
While the spiritual practice is important to many, a regular yoga practice has been found to provide many practical benefits in-
cluding: improved strength, balance, and flexibility; reduced pain from conditions such as arthritis as well as reduced stress; and better sleep and increased energy.
Taking a class from a well-trained instructor is recommended for anyone interested in beginning yoga. Below, courtesy of the New York Times, is a quick primer on some of the different types of classes and practices available.
Hatha: Most yoga styles being taught in America today are a form of hatha yoga, which
is a general term that refers YOGA STUDIO. PHOTO: JAN KRUKOV.
to the physical part of yoga, rather than yoga philosophy or meditation. A Hatha yoga class is likely to be a combination of poses and breathing exercises, but it’s hard to know whether it will be challenging or gentle. Check with the school or the teacher to find more about the level of classes that are described only as Hatha yoga.
Ashtanga Yoga: This is a challenging style of yoga that is centered around a progressive series of yoga sequences that, traditionally, students practice on their own under the guidance of a teacher. If you think that yoga is not a workout, you haven’t tried an Ashtanga class. Classes include advanced poses such as arm balances and inversions including headstands and shoulder stands. Beginner students are strongly advised to study with an experienced teacher. Ashtanga classes will also often include teachings in yoga philosophy.
Power Yoga: As its name suggests, power yoga is a challenging style of yoga aimed at strengthbuilding. These classes will include advanced poses and inversions like headstands and handstands that require a lot of strength.
Vinyasa or Flow: These classes usually consist of a fairly energetic flowing sequence of yoga poses that will include — depending on the level — advanced poses, such as arm balances, headstands, shoulder stands and handstands. Many vinyasa classes have musical accompaniment of the teacher’s choosing.
Iyengar: Love learning about how your muscles and joints work together? This is the yoga for you. Iyengar yoga focuses on the precision of your yoga poses. Iyengar classes are known for their use of props, including blankets, blocks, straps and bolsters, to help students do poses that they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. Classes can also include ropes that are anchored to the walls to do inversions and other poses. They also tend to include breathing exercises and references to yoga philosophy.
“It’s a good idea to try several yoga classes. How much you enjoy any class will come down to how much you like the teacher, not how it’s labeled."
Bikram or Hot Yoga: Like the heat? Bikram yoga is a set series of 26 poses performed in a room heated to 105 degrees, which is said to allow for deeper stretching and provide for a better cardiovascular workout. Unlike most yoga classes, Bikram classes are always done in rooms with mirrors. Hot yoga refers to any yoga class that is done in a heated room — generally from 80 to 100 degrees.
Restorative Yoga: If you are looking for a little more relaxation from your yoga class, restorative yoga is for you. This yoga style usually involves a few restful poses that are held for long periods of time. Restorative poses include light twists, seated forward folds and gentle back-bends, usually done with the assistance of many props, including blankets, blocks and bolsters.
Yin Yoga: Looking for a new kind of stretching experience? Yin yoga is aimed at stretching the connective tissue around the pelvis, sacrum, spine and knees to promote flexibility. Poses are held for a longer amount of time in yin yoga classes, generally from three to five minutes. It is a quiet style of yoga, and will quickly show you how good you are at sitting still.
