Vyas is the term given to the stage directors in the
traditional Ram Lila (the name given to any public theatrical production of the
Ramayana, the first of the two major Hindu epics).
The Ramnagar Ram Lila is the longest, most ornate, and
perhaps the most ancient of these plays.
In the Ramnagar Ram Lila, one vyas is in charge of the
svarups, brahmin youths who are portraying divinities and are regarded
embodiments of the deities while they are "on stage." The other
members of the cast are in charge of the other vyas.
They switch the action between the chorus and the cast, give
the performers specific acting cues, and remind them of their lines when they
forget them.
As a result, they are both visible agents and integral
members of the Ram Lila.
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