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| A scene from ‘Caged’ |
The Colombo International Theatre festival was held
at the British Schools Auditorium recently. Various stage performances
from seven different countries were staged at this theatre festival
including two Sri Lankan performances. Concluding the theatre festival,
‘Caged’ – a performance of a Sri Lankan Theatre group was staged last
Monday. This was one of the Sri Lankan acts played for the international
audience. Caged is a result of team work facilitated by M. Safeer, who
is also the festival director of the Colombo International Theatre
festival.
‘Caged’ is a silent play performed by ten artistes. All of them were dressed in similar costumes. Though it was wordless, it was not completely soundless. The silence was punctuated by snatches of music. The artistes also provided the music by various natural sound effects made by human breathing patterns. In addition, the artists provided the lighting to the act by using torch lights of different intensities. It was the only lighting technique used during the whole play.
The man in his day to day life experiences and gets trapped in various social happenings. Relationships, love, marriage and education trap the man within certain limits and boundaries. The play begins with a man and a woman who fall in love and get married. Once they make the commitment, they would be trapped in their lives. Harder they try to set free the more trapped they get. There would be no rescue for them. A bride who has been left by the groom would have to face social stigma. She would be disgraced and humiliated. Finally the society will also disown her.
Next the act was focused around a girl who calmly reads the ‘book of life’. Modern education disturbs her. She was pressured, frightened and scared by the modern educational system. The play also focuses on people who are trapped in a frame. They would try to get out of the trap, all the while trying to keep others trapped. Man always tries to fit in to a frame and always tries to seek a better larger frame to get into, but without realizing he would also be trapped in his frame.
‘Caged’ has targeted the global audience better by selecting a globally insolvable problem. Apart from the music and lights the shadows made by the lights require special attention. A whole new act was played by the shadows that danced on the screen behind. In fact the shadows also helped to enrich the play.
According to the ‘Caged’ team this is an experimental modern theatre art act. “This was originally designed to be staged in a limited space and to a limited audience and later modified to suit the mostly available proscenium theatre,” said M. Safeer. The basis for this production originated from a collection of videos of the famous dancing veteran Pina Basu.
“Theatre should not be limited to dialogues. Dialogues marginalize the audience.
It works as a practical barrier for the dramatists. An international play should have an international language. I believe the international language for the theatre is body and visual. Something innovative could be done through that,” Safeer claimed.
The director has to be very keen on selecting the crew. After all one little mistake could destroy weeks of hard work. “I didn’t choose dancers and actors for this play. These are the young talents who came for our workshops from all over the country. People from different walks of life are acting together on one stage. Yet we find this a successful team work. Theatre is a better tool for a social transformation,” he said.
The feeling of the play will always be different from person to person. What you see from the act depends on your experience and how mature you are. It’s your life story. It is everyone’s life story. The story of ‘Caged’ could not be turned in to words. It is something to be felt in person. Caged makes you think about the life, look deeper into your day to day routine and wonder how we all are trapped inside a cage.
The ‘Caged’ cast consisted of Nadeeka Tharangani (Bride), Hilmi Haseem (Bride groom/Book holder), Lalindra Udeshani (Society women/Book girl), Aruna Shantha (Chair), S. Dayalan (Hunter), Shamika Dilshan (Hunter), Hasidu Randil (Frame man), Chamal Virantha (boy), Thiwanka Ranasingha (boy) and Aruna Priyantha and Manoj Priyadarshna as Light men. Set and costumes were also designed by M. Safeer.
April 8,2012
Link : http://www.nation.lk/edition/environment/item/4733-%E2%80%98caged%E2%80%99-new-perspective-of-life.html
‘Caged’ is a silent play performed by ten artistes. All of them were dressed in similar costumes. Though it was wordless, it was not completely soundless. The silence was punctuated by snatches of music. The artistes also provided the music by various natural sound effects made by human breathing patterns. In addition, the artists provided the lighting to the act by using torch lights of different intensities. It was the only lighting technique used during the whole play.
The man in his day to day life experiences and gets trapped in various social happenings. Relationships, love, marriage and education trap the man within certain limits and boundaries. The play begins with a man and a woman who fall in love and get married. Once they make the commitment, they would be trapped in their lives. Harder they try to set free the more trapped they get. There would be no rescue for them. A bride who has been left by the groom would have to face social stigma. She would be disgraced and humiliated. Finally the society will also disown her.
Next the act was focused around a girl who calmly reads the ‘book of life’. Modern education disturbs her. She was pressured, frightened and scared by the modern educational system. The play also focuses on people who are trapped in a frame. They would try to get out of the trap, all the while trying to keep others trapped. Man always tries to fit in to a frame and always tries to seek a better larger frame to get into, but without realizing he would also be trapped in his frame.
‘Caged’ has targeted the global audience better by selecting a globally insolvable problem. Apart from the music and lights the shadows made by the lights require special attention. A whole new act was played by the shadows that danced on the screen behind. In fact the shadows also helped to enrich the play.
According to the ‘Caged’ team this is an experimental modern theatre art act. “This was originally designed to be staged in a limited space and to a limited audience and later modified to suit the mostly available proscenium theatre,” said M. Safeer. The basis for this production originated from a collection of videos of the famous dancing veteran Pina Basu.
“Theatre should not be limited to dialogues. Dialogues marginalize the audience.
It works as a practical barrier for the dramatists. An international play should have an international language. I believe the international language for the theatre is body and visual. Something innovative could be done through that,” Safeer claimed.
The director has to be very keen on selecting the crew. After all one little mistake could destroy weeks of hard work. “I didn’t choose dancers and actors for this play. These are the young talents who came for our workshops from all over the country. People from different walks of life are acting together on one stage. Yet we find this a successful team work. Theatre is a better tool for a social transformation,” he said.
The feeling of the play will always be different from person to person. What you see from the act depends on your experience and how mature you are. It’s your life story. It is everyone’s life story. The story of ‘Caged’ could not be turned in to words. It is something to be felt in person. Caged makes you think about the life, look deeper into your day to day routine and wonder how we all are trapped inside a cage.
The ‘Caged’ cast consisted of Nadeeka Tharangani (Bride), Hilmi Haseem (Bride groom/Book holder), Lalindra Udeshani (Society women/Book girl), Aruna Shantha (Chair), S. Dayalan (Hunter), Shamika Dilshan (Hunter), Hasidu Randil (Frame man), Chamal Virantha (boy), Thiwanka Ranasingha (boy) and Aruna Priyantha and Manoj Priyadarshna as Light men. Set and costumes were also designed by M. Safeer.
April 8,2012
Link : http://www.nation.lk/edition/environment/item/4733-%E2%80%98caged%E2%80%99-new-perspective-of-life.html
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