KATHAKALI, the traditional form of story telling/dance, is fascinating. The performers train from an early age and no females need apply so men play all the feminine parts. The stories include the Ramayana and Mahabharata. I went early to view the making up which can take hours and is just as amazing as the performance. There are no words but the musical accompaniment builds up as a singer sings the story. Each eye movement and gesture conveys meaning and the actor demonstrates it before the performance.