Sitayana Makeup Blog- Jessie Dzura

The Asian performance piece Sitayana takes the audience into another realm where gods and goddesses experience womanhood the same way as the every day person. You are swept into this other world by the enchanting music of an authentic orchestra and a fabulous multi-purpose set. But what is it that brought me into Sita's world? It was two things: the costumes and the lack of dialogue. The costumes transformed the entire show and made me believe in such a performance piece. Before any dialogue, dances, or noises, the costumes showed someone's personality to a t! As an audience member, the second someone was on the stage, you know what their part in Sitayana would be. There was the wise old man trope, evil demons and monkeys, brave princes, etc. Additionally, the costumes were emphasized by the limited dialogue throughout the show. At first, I was extremely skeptical about the show when I saw the screen and projected dialogue. I thought it would be distracting and would keep me from watching the intricacies of the actors' movements. However, I found myself enthralled by the costumes and actors rather than the screen. For the most part, as an audience member, you could interpret the action without reading the plot summary. As they always say, "Actions speak louder than words!". I was also particularly moved by the cut to intermission. The scene with the bird and the demon reminded me of a swan song and a moment of redemption for the characters! It was incredibly moving and a way to keep audience members trapped in the world of Sita.