Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya, born in 1965, is a luminary in Puerto Rican arts, celebrated for his multifaceted contributions as a writer, performer, and theater director. As the founding artistic director of Casa Cruz de la Luna, an experimental theater company and cultural center established in 1998, Adyanthaya has significantly influenced contemporary theater.
Casa Cruz de la Luna, once located in a historic building in San Germán, Puerto Rico, until its closure in 2022, became a beacon for innovative theatrical productions. Adyanthaya’s unique approach, known as “escritura acto” or “writing act,” revolutionizes the theatrical experience by blending live, on-stage computerized writing with performance, creating a dynamic interplay of written and spoken words.
Early Life and Education of Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya
Adyanthaya’s rich cultural heritage and diverse educational background have profoundly shaped his artistic vision. His father, B. Aravind Adyanthaya, an orthopedic surgeon from Mangalore, India, passed away in 1971, while his mother, Dr. Angela A. Ramírez-Irizarry, a distinguished plastic surgeon from Lajas, Puerto Rico, passed in 2021. This blend of Indian and Puerto Rican influences infused Adyanthaya’s upbringing with a unique perspective on life and art.
After receiving his MD from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in 1992, Adyanthaya ventured to India for a rotation at St. John’s Hospital in Bangalore. This experience marked a turning point, prompting him to pursue graduate studies in theater at the University of Minnesota. He earned a doctorate in theater historiography, with a dissertation focusing on 18th-century French public spectacles, laying the foundation for his innovative theatrical practices.
Casa Cruz de la Luna: A Hub of Innovation
In 1998, Adyanthaya founded Casa Cruz de la Luna in San Germán, transforming a historical residence into a vibrant cultural center. Through this venue, he staged groundbreaking productions of works by Federico García Lorca, Miguel de Cervantes, and Puerto Rican writer Pepe Liboy. These performances were not merely adaptations but reimaginings that pushed the boundaries of traditional theater.
Adyanthaya’s productions at Casa Cruz de la Luna were characterized by their experimental nature. He employed various media and unconventional staging techniques, fostering a space where artistic expression could flourish. This commitment to innovation made Casa Cruz de la Luna a vital part of Puerto Rico’s cultural landscape, attracting artists and audiences eager to explore new theatrical horizons.
The “Writing Act”: A Revolutionary Approach
Adyanthaya’s most notable contribution to theater is his “writing act” methodology, which he began developing in 2002. This approach transforms the stage into a live writing space, where the text is created and displayed in real-time. Through a series of one-man shows, Adyanthaya writes on a computer, projecting the words onto a screen as he performs. This method merges the immediacy of performance with the reflective nature of writing, creating a unique and immersive experience for the audience.
One of Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya’s most acclaimed pieces, Prometheus Bound, reinterprets Aeschylus’s tragedy through this innovative lens. Another notable work, The Library, inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’s “The Library of Babel,” utilizes the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan to explore themes of memory and knowledge.
In 2009, Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya expanded his “writing act” techniques with The Marquis de Sade Is Afraid of the Sea, further pushing the boundaries of theatrical storytelling.
Literary Achievements
Beyond his theatrical work, Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya is also an accomplished writer of fiction. His debut book of stories, Lajas (2002), won the first prize from the PEN Club of Puerto Rico and the Ateneo Puertorriqueño literary competition. Drawing from family stories, Lajas offers a fantastical, kaleidoscopic vision of his hometown, blending reality with the surreal.
Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya’s second book, La Mano (2010), continues this exploration of the mystical and the mundane. Through a series of interconnected stories, he delves into themes of medicine, mysticism, and the inexplicable events that shape everyday life. His literary work, like his theater, is marked by a deep engagement with the complexities of human experience.
Awards and Recognition
Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya’s contributions to theater and literature have earned him numerous accolades. He has been awarded the Jerome Playwriting Fellowship and the McKnight Advancement Grant from the Playwrights’ Center, the Jerome Performance Art Fellowship by Intermedia Arts, and the Artist of Color Directing Fellow at New York Theatre Workshop.
Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya’s play The Faculties received the Pregones Theater’s Asunción Prize and the First Prize in Theatre at Casa de Teatro in the Dominican Republic.
Also Read:Catarina de San Juan: The Noble Indian Who Became a Mexican Saint