Kafka’s Ape Meets the Natyashastra

To the Academy is a multi-media performance work that makes poignant and humorous commentary about education, common paradigms of diversity, oppressive nature institutional labor. Created through dialogue between myself, an Indian American with training in various forms physical theatre dance, Guyanese-Canadian actor Marc Gomes, it has been performed at several universities arts centers since 2015. In this essay, I will interrogate ways which we place select elements “Indian tradition” service piece’s overarching theme histories European domination, asking whether making these cultural materials subservient to our political agenda constitutes form appropriation. examine three components work: character classical dancer who appears first section show, explicit references ancient Sanskrit treatise on performance, Natyashastra, framing both within adaptation Franz Kafka’s story, “Report Academy,” ape learns impersonate humans. so doing, explore ethical responsibilities artists color have working intercultural aesthetics. Furthermore, assert inevitably ambivalent activist even if aim resist hegemonic structures.