Vyas

In the traditional Ram Lila (name given
to any public dramatic presentation of
the Ramayana, the earlier of the two
great Hindu epics), vyas is the name
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Vyas
A vyas, or stage director, at a performance
of the Ram Lila, Bombay.
given to the stage directors. The
Ramnagar Ram Lila is the longest, most
elaborate, and arguably the oldest of
these dramas. In the Ramnagar Ram
Lila, one vyas is responsible for the
svarups, the brahmin boys who are
playing the parts of the divinities, and
who are considered manifestations of
the deities when they are “in character.”
The other vyas is responsible for the rest
of the cast. Between them they shift
the action between chorus and cast, give
the actors minute directions for their
acting, and prompt them when they
forget their lines. As such, they are visible agents themselves and an important
part of the Ram Lila.