For those interested in cross-cultural dramaturgy and aesthetics, I listened to a podcast from The Theater of The Other this morning discussing the The Natyasastra (also written as Natya Sastra) which I recommend as an easy and enjoyable introduction.
The Natyasastra is comparable in importance for the dramatic arts in South and Southeast Asia to Aristotle’s Poetics in the the West. (Here’s a discussion of its influence in Thailand to give us Thai BL fans some more specific context for one of many influences going into the series).
The discussion touches briefly on the roles of actors, the experience of observing mudras for native versus nonnative audiences, the aesthetic theory of Rasas that undergird performance, spiritual dimensions to performance and viewer experience, and the reasons this theory seems to resist consumer capitalist approaches to entertainment, and how you could apply it to Shakespeare’s work.
For some queer global connections, Budi Miller, of the creatives discussing the work, is a gay-identified UNESCO designated master of Bali ceremonial mask performance, professor of performing arts, and acting coach who, among other credits across stage and screen, worked with Michelle Williams for Brokeback Mountain. He was also a guest judge for the Indonesian film festival in 2020. He’s not casually chiming into this discourse.
Give it a listen when you get the chance. The actual discussion of the text begins about 10 minutes in.
Podcast Episode · The Theatre of Others Podcast · 04/07/2025 · 1h 11m
