University of La Verne Communications Department Teams with Renowned Puppeteer to Produce Ramayana Video
The University of La Verne Communications Department and LVTV-3 teamed with well-known puppeteer Penelope Torribio to produce a video of a classic Indian puppet show, the Ramayana.
Torribio, a Pomona resident, has been performing an English language adaptation of the Ramayana for more than 20 years.
“The story has great relevance today, because it speaks of how when people get power there is always the temptation to abuse it,” Torribio said.
Communications Professor Don Pollock, who served as video producer, and Communications Department Operations Manager Shane Rodrigues ‘94, video director, produced an earlier video of the Ramayana with Torribio.
“That one was a lot of fun,” said Rodrigues. We spent all night in someone’s backyard in West Covina shooting it.”
Torribio recently spent a month in Myanmar (Burma), where she met with many top puppeteers. Torribio said puppetry was outlawed in Myanmar for more than 20 years.
“Some of the puppeteers were using their shows to criticize the regime. Lately there’s been a revival of the art in Myanmar,” Torribio said. “I learned new techniques and brought back a number of new puppets.”
When Torribio told Pollock about her visit to Myanmar and what she learned there, Pollock was anxious to shoot a new video of Torribio’s updated adaptation.
“Penelope takes this classical Hindu story and makes it accessible to American audiences. She incorporates humor and music and gears the show toward kids,” Pollock said.
The Ramayana is a poem that originated in India and tells the story of Rama, a legendary prince whose wife, Sita, is kidnapped by the evil king, Ravana.
Rama and Ravana engage in an epic battle. Rama prevails and returns home to be crowned king. The Ramayana is known and performed throughout Southeast Asia in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.
“One version was 27 hours long,” Torribio said. “And the performers never left the stage.”
Torribio brought 50 of her puppets – a fraction of her 600-puppet collection – to the LVTV studio for filming.
Torribio manipulated the puppets with the help of her husband, Gerry, son-in-law, Brian, and granddaughter, Ava Azarmi.
The video crew included ULV Communications Department assistant Claudia Gonzalez ’13, LVTV station manager Ken Pucci ‘92, LVTV Production Coordinator Art Samano, and LVTV assistant Dwayne McClendon.
