Running Head: PROJECT WRITE UP ON PLAY OF THE WAY TO RAINY MOUNTAIN

Title: Project Write Up On Play of the Way to Rainy Mountain

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Project Write Up On Play of the Way to Rainy Mountain

The Way to Rainy Mountain follows a short story that describes the loss of Momaday’s grandmother. Momaday is the author of the book and it takes one on his journey to his ancestral lands. It is the death of his grandmother that brings about a deeper and a personal need for the exploration of his family background. In an attempt to get close to his heritage, he decides to return to the land of his people to experience his roots first hand as he aims at mourning the loss of a loved one. It offers a thrilling account of the Kiowa people spirit core that is told through the author.

Summary of the literary style

The way to Rainy Mountain is the journey that is told in three voices. The first voice is told through the ancestral voice. The second voice involves a historical commentary that helps in guiding one on the historical background of the Kiowa people. The third voice as depicted in the Way to Rainy Mountain, involves the use of Momaday’s poetic memoir found from his experiences. It forms the personal reminiscence as told by Momaday’s own voice. However, the most important aspect is that all the three voices together help to teach on the Kiowa’s traditions, morals, beliefs and their origin (Momaday, 1991).

Characterization

The book presents a hint of non-fiction that allows one to surmise that Momaday is the author and also the narrator. For this reason the characterization of the play was focused on Momaday as the man who left his family’s homeland so as to make his life elsewhere (Momaday, 1991). However, due to the special relationship that he had with his grandmother he stayed in contact with his family. It is the death of his grandmother that would prompt his return to his natural home and take him through what is seen as a spiritual journey for him.

From his personal reminiscence as told by the authors own voice, the characterization of the play performed involved giving the audience an experience of the pain that he is going through. The characterization involved a story that appears to take on a sad and depressing tone that is associated with the death of his grandmother. One can also get a sense of loneliness as he describes the terrain as it appears to be desolate and barren. His writing seems to appeal to those in a similar situation and have lost a loved one.

The objects and places as used in the play

Firstly, the rainy mountain formed the setting and place for the place. For this to be achieved, involved the use of a huge back drop that showed a picture of the plains found in the shadow of the Rainy mountain. In the stage setting also involved a real Pepote which is a type of cactus that many Native American tribes use in their religious ceremonies so as to induce a dreamlike state.

Another significant object used in the staging of the play, as found in the book id the inclusion of the Tai-me. Tai-me was both used as an object and as a character in the book (Momaday, 1991). The Tai-me is a small idol that is less than two feet tall that looks like a human. The idol is dressed in a white robe, pendants, and headdress and is painted with symbols of the moon and the sun. For the purpose of performing the play, a Tai-me idol was purchased from the local native American ethnic antiques shop and was suspended on the left side of the front of the stage of the play. Also on the sides of the play and on the backdrop involved pictures of horses that were an integral part to the lives of the traditional Native American.

Themes portrayed in the play

The play of the way to the Rainy Mountain involved the portrayal of a number of themes, however, for the purposes of this play I concentrated on the theme of the importance of nature and the theme of cultural appreciation. The theme of the importance of nature depicted on the strong respect of nature which the Kiowa people had for the land they lived in (Momaday, 1991). The dissemination of the buffalo herds help the Kiowa people understand an important lesson of proper conservation practices. Due to this they are forced to abandon their old practices and adopt new practices for the respect of nature that also involves farming methods.

Lessons learnt from performing the play

What I learnt while performing the play was a lot. Firstly I learnt on the respect of the ancestral who form the cultural aspects. One learns on the traditional tribal narratives that bring about the Kiowa traditional culture and tribal narratives. It helps to create an impression of the way of life of the Kiowa people that is both well grounded and mystical. The use of the Kiowa voice as depicted in the book helps in offering information and understanding the Kiowa people are and how they came to exist and their modes of survival.

As I performed the play i could tell from the reaction from the kids that they were moved by the performance. I also had a chance to speak to the kids and they were able to convey to me that they loved the performance and that it taught them a lot. This raised my spirits for the performance I did and cannot wait for the next time that I will perform another show for them again.

In addition, the play helped to offer information in telling of the historical background of the Kiowa people and their oral tradition and rites that they carried as a nomadic tribe. A critical look at the play also offers and understanding of the Kiowa’s ancient psyche fuse with the primal nature. The infusing with the primal nature is seen in the depiction of various animals such as the dog, hawk and antelope beings and the use of the Tai-me.

Reference

Momaday, N. S. (1991). The way to Rainy Mountain. Albuquerque: Univ. of New Mexico Press