Walking on the shadows of Hattottuwagama

Deepani Silva, who is committed to promoting street dramas, talks about the interesting times, experiences and lessons learnt while working with a legendary father figure in the field of acting  

(Pics by Ravindra Dharmathilake)

Award winning actress Deepani Silva celebrates four decades in her acting career in March 2015.

The late Gamini Hattottuwagama, through street dramas in Sri Lanka, offered citizens an amazing theatrical experience.  This roadside experience was offered free to the public. Yet, several decades later, there was a period where street dramas were not shown. Deepani Silva, one of the first stage drama students of Hattottuwagama, with the support of several other former members of Hattottuwagama’s drama team established Gamini Hattottuwagama Foundation to develop this theatrical component, identifying this downfall.

Deepani said that her voyage in the drama field began unexpectedly as she joined Ranga Shilpa Shalika looking for a way to spend time after her final school examinations in 1975 with her cousin sisters. Ranga Shilpa Shalika was the first institute to introduce a program to teach drama and theater studies.  Late veteran Gamini Hattottuwagama was one of the instructors at the institution and he was trying to build up a street drama group by the time Deepani joined the class.

 “I didn’t know anything about street drama. Yet Hattottuwagama Sir invited me to join in with them as he observed that I have acting skills which can be useful in street drama,” she recalled.  She said that she didn’t have an expectation to become an actress, but was curious to learn how things happened behind the curtains. She said that she developed an interest because of the stage dramas she watched during her school days at Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya and Colombo Buddhist Ladies’ College.

After joining Hattottuwagama’s street drama team she received the opportunity to take part in two special role-plays produced by Hattottuwagama and H. Karunarathna for Christmas. “I was a part of these two dramas, Akeekaru Puthraya and Jesu Jerusalamata Pamineema. Therefore my acting career started on an altar,” she reminisced. She also recalled how she traveled across the country with this drama group. “I was amazed by this new experience and was surprised how the team was enthusiastic about the performances although it didn’t benefit them financially. Luckily I received the blessings from my family,” she said recalling how the family shared her interest and encouraged her to follow her heart once they got to know how exciting street drama was. 

Deepani’s father, J Peter Silva was a teacher as well as trade union leader in Kalutara, Katukurunda.  She grew up in an environment where they openly discussed political and social issues. “I believe that was the reason why I wasn’t too scared to engage in street drama. I was familiar with the subjects due to the experiences I received at home mingling with the society,” she said.  She also said that politics and art always went hand in hand and even though an artiste doesn’t get on to a political stage she or he will always be speaking politics. “To engage in party politics or not is a personal choice. It depends on the person. However, the artiste should always take the general public’s side, always speaking against the unjust happening to them, if there is any,” she stressed.

After Hattottuwagama passed away, the need for a leadership reemerged in the street drama field.  “We identified this need and a few from the first group got together again to create a program for the younger generation. She also mentioned how Hattottuwagama Sir taught them the techniques in a practical manner while engaged in a drama. As a tribute to him they established the Gamini Hattottuwagama Foundation to support the Sri Lankan Street Drama.  

 “Street drama is open to anyone in the society. Performances will be on the road, so anyone-from a person who drives a luxurious car to a beggar on the road- can come and see,” she explained. Street theatre as she said goes to its audience rather than the other way round. Its different performances depend on time and place; it can range from public theatre through a town or village to a demonstration at a factory or an organization, linked up with a social or political campaign. 

She iterated that a street drama artiste should be highly skilled. “Everyone at the audience should hear what he or she is saying despite the disturbances in the environment. Performance should be directed to everyone around the circle.  None of the spectators should be missed,” she said.  “It’s a difficult task as the spectator can see every step from getting ready- wearing costumes to the performance,” she added. She further said that the street dramatist should also be knowledgeable about the current situation of the society apart from the street drama and acting skills that they have to engage with the spectators and should be ready accept or respond to the feedback.

She said that economical benefits are secondary in street dramas and that the group is more focused on sending out a message. “Most of the time, a street drama is organized from personnel funds of the dramatist.  If the organizers are ready to pay for our transport, that will be welcomed and appreciated. Even if not, we won’t fuss,” she said.  She also said that whatever money they raise through the hat collection at the end of the performance satisfies them. They use the money for their accommodation and improvements of their costumes and decorations.  “A hat collection is a tradition carried out in street drama, not that we receive a lot of money through this,” she reflected.

 She argued that street drama has the potential to convey political messages to the society stronger than other form of art. “That should also be the responsibility of the artiste engaged in street drama. Problems and issues concerning the society can be easily convinced to the society through this. Since the drama goes to the people on the road, the messengers don’t have to wait until the audience comes to them to convey the message,” she added.

Deepani also joined stage drama, television and the silver screen later in her career. She has contributed in over 25 stage dramas including Weddikkarayo. She first joined the Television through Shrimathi Liyanage’s Children’s drama. Her debut episodic drama was Lucian Bulathsinhala’s Thara Devi. The dumb woman’s character she played in Thara Devi was much loved an appreciated. This role made her a star in the teledrama field. She said that she feels proud that she has been able to maintain her popularity continuously until today. “I have never played the lead role of a teledrama, yet most of the characters I played were loved by the teledrama fans,” she said.

She entered the silver screen with the role in Hewawasam’s Meeharaka in 1980s. She got nominated for the Best Actress Award for the character she played in Anura Chndrandrasiri’s  Thunweni Aha.

Today she mostly contributes to teledramas apart from her involvement in Street theater. She also spoke about the teledrama industry in the country. She lamented that the teledrama industry has become a factory which caters to the demand of the buyers. “Producers are more interested in finishing more episodes in a day rather than producing a drama high in aesthetic qualities,” she lamented.

She identified few disadvantages an artiste faces today. “In Sri Lanka acting is not a recognized profession. You can’t apply for a bank loan being an artiste. You won’t receive a pension when you are old. Most of all, acting is not a secure job. You’ll get roles until you have the demand.  If you lose it you lose your financial stability,” she pointed out.

She also emphasized the need for a valid institute to teach drama and theater studies. “There should be a place where students can observe skills of veterans and learn and a place where they get a valid recognition,” she said. “Acting is no easy job if done properly. It requires training and constant practice as well as confidence. This is why people who started the career as stage dramatists tend to remain in the field for a longer time than others who are not,” she said.

Rodney Warnakula - Caught in a wave called comedy

 “There are dramatists who preserve their individual work. Yet, what we want is a collective system where all theater work will be preserved for the use of next generations,” Rodney Warnakula, one of the most celebrated Sinahala artistes who conquered the stage, television as well as the silver screen as an actor, producer and also as a singer said during an interview with The Nation. Warnakula made these comments when talking about the resolutions that should be brought for the betterment of the Sri Lankan arts field this year (2015). He pointed out that there is no fine method to preserve the stage dramas or stage drama songs in the country. According to him, even now it’s too late for some of the theater components to be preserved. “We at least get to see reproductions of stage plays. But what about the Teetar, Naadagam and Kolam?” he queried. “Those components too should be preserved so that it provides an example of how rich our old traditional art is,” he emphasized.

Warnakula is from Bopitiya, Ja-Ela. Receiving the primary education from Bopitiya Roman Catholic Boy’s School he entered Pamunugma Maha Vidyalaya for higher studies. His interest, while in school, was the stage because he was a much loved singer and skilled actor.   

In 1980, young Rodney received an opportunity to join the Tower Hall Theater Program. There he said that he received the greatest opportunity of meeting theater legends Anula Bulathsinhala and Lucien Bulathsinhala. “Meeting them was a turning point in my life. They invited me to act in Tharawo Igilethi in 1981. That was the first time I set my foot on the popular stage,” he recalled. Since then he has been working in the field for 33 years and has made contributions to more than 45 theater productions. These include Nari Bena, Vanisiye Welenda, Ananda Jawanika, Madura Jawanika, Guru Tharuwa, Mee Pura Wasiyo, Saranga Nawen Awith and Padada Asapuwa. Among these Saranga Nawen Awith was Warnakula’s debut stage play production.

He also spoke about his connections with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. “I was a singer before I was an actor. Starting from school, I featured in many musical programs including amateur singer’s programs at SLBC,” he recalled. He was selected for both SLBC’s ‘Sarala Gee’ program and as a dubbing artiste. He reminisced the times he featured in the radio program Thaksalawa, mentioning how he was invited to make contributions in dubbed television programs.  He specifically mentioned that he believes that it was a blessing to work under the guidance of Athula Ransirilal in Inguru Paan Malliya,Kolikuttu Sahodarayo and Dangara waliga lapa wanara.

Warnakula’s stage roles are remembered for his remarkable voice. He is an icon in the Sri Lankan musical theater.    ‘Kumatada Sobaniye Kandulu Salanne…’ in Nari Bena,  ‘Yasa isuru pirunu thana, Siri dew du sitina thanaa ’ in Rathu Hattakari ‘Kadeta palayan Chun Chan…’ in Saranga Nawen Awith, ‘Hanika Warew Kollene..’ in Bera Handa and  ‘Sobawa de…’ in Tharawo igilethi with U Ariyawimal are some of the popular stage plays where one can hear his songs.  

He considers the opportunity he received to play the fox’s character in late veteran Dayananda Gunawardana’s Nari Bena as the greatest fortune in his career. He believes that destiny also played a role in him being selected for the character. He joined the Nari Bena crew in 1993, ten years after the play was first staged. Since then for 21 continuous years, he has played the role of the fox.

Few years into his stage career, Warnakula received the opportunity to enter the electronic media (television) and the silver screen. His first studio drama was Sutin and Martin. Gradually he received invitations to act in tele-dramas.  Among his most celebrated characters are the roles he played in Bodima, Nonawaruni Mahathwaruni, Ethuma, Sodona and Sayawana Patumaga. His character in Nana Kamaraya- a tele-drama mostly popularized through DVDs- is rated among the successful roles he played.

The debut film role he played was the character in Bahuboothayo (a Sinhala comedy). He mentioned that filming the second part of Bahuboothayo has now been completed – good news for fans who enjoyed the first part.  Sikuru Hathe is another in a series of popular films to which he has contributed with acting roles.

Although Warnakula plays many roles on the stage, he seems to be framed into similar type of characters when it comes to television and the film industry. Warnakula is one of the very few comedians with the ability to make people laugh without putting much effort. Yet this didn’t make it necessary to frame him to a set character, a funny servant or an office assistant. He acknowledged that he feels his talents are limited by set boundaries on television and the silver screen. “I keep on receiving similar roles in acting. When a character is successfully played and loved by the audience, producers tend to recreate similar roles. This stereotype characters bore the actors as well as the audience. “I have turned down many invitations to play such characters,” he stressed.

Warnakula along with his co-artiste Priyantha Seneviratne received the opportunity to continue the radio comedy Vinoda Samaya from its original presenters Annesley Dias, Berty Goonathilake and Samuel Rodrigo after several productions. “After these three superstars, Mr. Amarasoma Samarakkodi continued the program for a period. Eventually we also received an opportunity to perform,” he said. “Unfortunately, the SLBC didn’t want to continue with the program. Eventually we had to give up,” he said in a sad tone.

Commenting further on the contemporary comedy programs he said that it is essential that the comedy programs come along with visuals today because the audience demands visuals. “Dialogues solely can’t make people laugh today,” he noted. “Our audience relies too much on visuals today. They have been made to depend on visuals,” he said adding that this implies the fact that the creativity of the audience has declined. “Mindset of the people is shaped according to the speed rhythm media makes people follow. Sometimes it is confusing what people appreciate as art today.”  

He further said that the reason behind the lack of fine comedy programs could be the complexity of the today’s society. “People are suppressed by different problems. They are too stressed to think. Therefore sometimes people don’t understand satire,” he said. “It’s sad when the part including satire has to be pointed out for the audience,” he lamented. Warnakula further stressed that the lack of good satirical scripts is proof for the lack of well read artistes.

Warnakula launched his first music album ‘Ha ha lande’; a collection of stage drama songs in 2000. In 2011, he launched his second album ‘Sanda Eliya Wage’. His other songs don’t seem have grabbed attention of the radio program producers although his drama songs are played on radio channels from time to time. Warnakula said that he is not concerned about these songs not been played on radio channels that his intentions were not to sell his songs. However, speaking of his New Year resolutions he said that now it is time that he start another theater production, after Saranga Nawen Awith.

Trapped in a dramatist’s shoes

Dinesh Sandaruwan is an amateur dramatist who is about to stage his debut drama direction, ‘Blood Wedding’.

Pix by Ravindra Dharmathilake

Few months ago, when Gayan Randeera, Director of Johnge Sattuwatta, spoke to The Nation, he said that he found the ideal person for the character of John. Johnge Sattuwatta is a Sinhala adaptation of The Zoo Story which was originally titled Peter and Jerry by American playwright Edward Albee in 1958.

John is an isolated and disheartened man who failed to build any form of relationship with others. Although his appearance perfectly fits John’s character, this young actor claims that he is not isolated and the people of the university love him as he loves them in return. “They love me not because I am an actor or I make occasional television appearances. They love me for the friendship we have and the good relationship we maintain,” Dinesh Sandaruwan said. He added that the value of human relationships is more important to him than anything else.

Sandaruwan stepped into popular theater through Johnge Saththu Watta. Jonhge Sathuthu Watta has been staged over 20 times and its lead actor, Sandaruwan said that they were delighted by the feedback and participation. During this short period he has been active in the field, he played the main role of Wisekariyo (Lysistrata-Aristophnes) directed by Priyankara Ratnayake. Sandaruwan has also contributed to Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka’s Makarata since 2012. 

Dinesh Sandaruwan is a product of the Kelaniya University. He sat for his Bachelors in Arts special degree final exams early this year. He is from Dewalegama, Kegalle. “My village is beautiful, surrounded by mountains. I didn’t know about theater productions in the city outside the mountain range. Village dramas were different,” he recalled. Sandaruwan said that he had loved the arts and culture in his village since childhood, but always suspected that there was art beyond this. He received his primary education from Bamunugama Maliyadewa Vidyalaya, Kegalle and attended Parakramabhahu National School, Polgahawela for the Advanced Level Examination.

“Later I met a teacher called Hemachandra Piyadasa and I was inspired by his work. When I got to know that I could study drama for my Advanced level Examination I was more than happy,” Sandaruwan said. He said that he had to move to another school because he wanted to study drama. “As a child I planned to have a carrier in the arts field. It was my hobby and I dreamt of doing my best as a professional in the field,” he added.

Backed by the motivation he received as an actor on stage, he will be staging his debut direction Niyangala Premaya (Blood Wedding) in October. Blood Wedding is a tragedy by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca written in 1932. “Blood Wedding was first directed for the final project at the university. Considering the feedback received, I thought it would be better for a public audience,” said Sandaruwan.

Speaking further about Niyangala Premaya he said that this drama has been produced before, under the supervision of the veteran dramatist Kaushalya Fernando as Sanda Langa Maranaya. “One may ask why we chose a pre-produced drama. Firstly this was produced for the university and secondly we wanted to see what we can do on our own with the script,” he said. The budding director said that it suited his drama group’s ideologies and he always admired García Lorca’s work. “García Lorca’s work always won my heart. Most of his work reflected on Spanish folk culture and we had to look into ways to adapt it according to our society,” he said adding that the drama ‘Blood Wedding’ speaks about human relationships deeply and makes the audience question the social norms.

When he was asked how he was taking up the challenge of directing a stage play he said that he doesn’t find it too difficult. “This maybe because I have acted under skilled directors,” he said. He believes that directing is a way of expressing himself. “We all have a vision of our own. A director will choose the best script which suits their ideologies and make an attempt to express themselves through the actors,” he explained. He also said that the best way to express them is to create an autonomous script. “Blood Wedding started to satisfy a university need. I have already started to write an autonomous script; a political comedy. Hopefully, it will be named as Political Heenaya,” he said.

Sandaruwan pointed out that school education is not sufficient to understand theater. Common perception in the society is that drama and theater is not a field in which a person can earn money. “People are made to think that actors are those who they see on television everyday. My view too was similar to this until I studied the subject,” he said. “A person can make money doing drama. But a dramatist cannot do whatever he or she wants to for the sake of making money. Yet there are people who are making money doing whatever they want,” he added. However, he said that there are instances where people lose all their money doing dramas. “Sometimes dramatists get wretched. But we are a group who has studied the subject deeply. We are the specialists. If we are to leave this to earn money, who will be there to save the field?” he raised a question.

He further explained the responsibility of a dramatist. According to Sandaruwan, a director and a scriptwriter are responsible for each and every word said on stage. “If the dramatists fake their work, the audience will know. They have to be honest with their work. Unlike teledrama, a stage play cannot be staged without proper rehearsals,” he pointed out.

He also said that there are three types of groups in the audience. “When a drama is staged one group enjoys it for its outline story. The next group whose intelligence level is superior to the previous group tries to seek the underlying meaning,” he stressed. “There is another group; the most intelligent, they seek for the politics and the psychology of the drama,” he added. According to him, the dramatist should be skilled enough to satisfy all three groups. “Dramatist must know which audience he is targeting. Although there are dramas which is said to be addressing all audiences; children, youth or adults, I don’t think it is successful,” Sandaruwan opined. 

He also spoke about the barriers to entering the acting field. He said that he has tried to pursue a career as a teledrama actor, yet was demotivated because of the disappointments and the hardship of breaking into the field as an amateur. “One should either have connection with powerful people or money. Or else it is hard for a person from middle class to become an artiste. The doors are closed for them,” he lamented. “The only other possible route is through university education. Through university education you get the opportunity to strengthen skills and build the necessary relationships,” is how he expressed his grief. He said that a person concluding school education doesn’t have the capabilities to pursue a professional carrier in any field. “University education is a must if a person wants to become a professional,” Sandaruwan added.

Although he is satisfied with the university curriculum, Sandaruwan lamented that the situation at schools is not satisfactory at all. “It’s not the subject matter, it’s the teachers assigned. Most of the time there aren’t specialized teachers to teach the subject,” he emphasized. “Sinhala language teachers or the dancing teachers at school have to teach drama too,” he pointed out. According to him when the teachers have not studied the subject, they are not interested about the subject. “No one can guarantee that the students are getting 100 percent of what the syllabus has recommended.  If the student doesn’t have tuition, he will be devastated,” he said.  “Although the government doesn’t look into the qualifications of the private tuition masters, sometimes that’s where the child receives complete education,” he added. He also said that the university education is different to this that the lecturers don’t spoon-feed the students with the subject matters. “But since we were pampered and spoon-fed in the school education system, sometimes the student oriented education system becomes very difficult,” Sandaruwan emphasized. “Therefore some lecturers have to spoon-feed the students at the university level too. The numbers of students who refer to library books have decreased. Sometimes it is the photocopied notes which help the students to get through the examinations,” he iterated adding that these issues don’t receive the attention of authorities.

The availability of jobs for the special degree holders is not satisfactory in Sandaruwan’s opinion. Majority of graduates pursue jobs as teachers while another percentage joins the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Some jobs are available at the Maharagama National Youth Council too. “Many prefer teaching since there are more benefits like free time to carry out their own creations during the free evenings,” he said. “Majority of the general drama degree holders also become teachers. Therefore is it worth for the special degree holders too to become a school teacher? Why did they specialize on the subject if they just wanted to become school teachers?” he queried.

He said that one of the major reasons that the producers aren’t much interested in stage plays is that they have a doubt about profits. “There are stage play coordinators but no producers. They try to divide the sponsorship. Sometimes it’s the director who sponsors his play,” he said. “Yet sponsors are ready to sponsor teledramas or films since the profits are quicker and it comes easily. They can sell their products to the media institutions,” he reiterated. “However, producers are not artistes, they are businessman investing money for profits,” he added. He emphasized that this is why the theater productions are rare and many among these rare production are cheap productions.

http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/31843-trapped-in-a-dramatist%E2%80%99s-shoes.html

What’s in a name?

Veteran dramatist Rajitha Dissanayaka says that the name of a play makes a huge impact

 

Pic by Chandana Wijesinghe

Witnessing a stage drama is different from all other aesthetic experiences. It’s live and a fine theater production is capable of speaking to the heart as well as the brain of the audience. “Once a person experiences this wonderful feeling he or she will never abandon theater. This is why there is always a good turnout for a fine stage performance and why there is a group who looks out for a good stage play at all times,” said veteran dramatist Rajitha Dissanayaka speaking to ‘The Notebook of an Achiever’, about his voyage in the field of theater.

Dissanayaka passed his Advanced Level examinations in 1989 yet couldn’t enter the university the same year as the universities were closed due to conflicts that existed at the time. He believes that these experiences during this period of violence might have had an influence on his work. “Schools were closed for months and it was a period people feared for their lives. As students we had despised the government’s attempts to stamp down the riot,” he recalled. Rajitha had developed an interest in drama from schooldays at St. Mary's College, Chilaw. “When the schools were reopened, we wanted to seek a method to vent our frustrations. Drama seemed the ideal medium,” he said. Although he wrote a script, young Rajitha and his group of friends were not allowed to stage the drama in school under the circumstances.

However, during this period while killing time at home till the universities were reopened, he continuously wrote drama scripts and studied the subject. His first public performance, Sakwadawala was directed when he was a student at the Colombo University. His debut stage script was awarded the title ‘Best Drama Script’ in the Youth Drama Festival in 1994.

The young dramatist, motivated by this achievement, was able to give hope to the audience in an era they were losing their faith on stage plays, through Hansayintath Mang Asai (I Love Swans Also - 1996) and Mata Wedi Thiyanne Nadda (1999). Dissanayaka assured the audience of his capabilities when he staged Weeraya Marila staged in 2002. “Our drama team began to receive attention with Weeraya Marila. It was a career milestone. We were able to stage this drama over 100 times in the first round,” he reminisced. Weeraya Marila is the most staged drama among his creations and was awarded the best drama, best Director, Choreographer, Lighting and best script titles at the State Drama Festival 2002. His other plays, Sihina Horu Aran (Dreams Robbed -2004) and Apahu Harenna Ba (No return - 2009) were also selected as the best in many categories at the State Drama Festivals. Bakamuna Weedi Basiy (Owl on the street) was first staged in 2011 and his latest play Adara Wasathuwa (Love Object) will mark its first anniversary this year. Early in his career he also served as a program producer and a script writer for Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

Adara Wasthuwa

He believes that the name of a play has a huge impact on attracting a large audience. “I think that we can send the society a message through the title of the drama alone. It was during a period in which the integrity, corporation and peacefulness were absent from the society that we first staged Weeraya Marila. It was a frightful period that our idols turned out to be greedy, needy, swallowed by consumerism,” he explained how the name they used spoke of the existing situation in brief while the drama spoke about it in depth. “Sihana Horu Arang was directed in a period in which our dreams were actually robbed. The title states the obvious, yet when you watch the drama you’ll start to think whether you should just stay frozen while your dreams are robbed or whether you should make an attempt to secure your dreams,” he explained.

According to Dissanayaka the main responsibilities of a dramatist are to help the spectator look into their lives in depth, understand their lives, society and impart knowledge so that they will be intelligent enough to identify the changes in the process. “A dramatist can create a window through which to look out for what is happening. Looking out and taking actions is in the hands of the spectator. The dramatist can only set the background required for this understanding,” he iterated. When asked about the freedom of expressing their views on stage, he said that the dramatist cannot expect the society to grant complete freedom at all times. “There will be limitations. The support will not be the same, always. The dramatist has to understand this and work to the best of his abilities,” he said.

Commenting on the current limitations in society he said, “One cannot say that there aren’t any limitations to freedom of expression today. Although there are certain limitations, I believe, that the artiste should understand the circumstances and do their maximum within this frame.” He further said that an artiste should have the ability to produce outstanding creations, even within these limitations if they use their maximum creativity. “That is what we are trying to do,” he emphasized.

Bakamuna Weedi Basiy

Intellectuals criticize contemporary society for not giving priority to cultural activities, in their schedules. They say that this could devalue human life. Dissanayake too, lamented that abandoning the aesthetic activities will make a negative impact on society. “Most among us do not consider reading a book, watching a movie, going out for a drama or listening to good music as a human need. It is very unfortunate that these values are being ignored,” Dissanayake pointed out. He said that the society is made to believe that experiencing art is watching the television at night. “However we do not have state of the art facilities to experience fine aesthetics either. Not only western countries, even India has better facilities in each of its states. India has given priority to establishing good libraries, galleries and theaters,” he added.

He also said that none of the governments that came into power to date have given priority to nurturing these needs. However, according to him people of the country show a lukewarm interest on the subject that they don’t make demands on behalf of cultural requirements. “They can’t be accused of not demanding too when they have bigger problems to look into,” he exclaimed. “I believe that it’s essential that we demand cultural needs in parallel with other demands, or it will be too late if we wait until we find answers for our basic demands,” he said. “It is the duty of the institutions established to oversee cultural activities in the country. They don’t seem to do their duty,” he alleged.

He pointed out that this situation has a huge impact on theater and dramatists. He suggested that setting up mini theaters is one viable solution for lack of proper theaters. “We need at least three more fine theaters in Colombo and at least one theater in each major city,” he suggested. “There should be a proper plan to maintain these theaters in good condition while giving the dramatist the opportunity to issue tickets at a lower price,” he opined. As he explained, if there is a system to secure sponsorships and reduce the cost paid for the stage, the ticket prices will automatically drop. Theaters should be maintained. Watching a drama should be a pleasant experience. It would not become pleasant if the hall is too hot or lighting is poor,” he added.

“There should also be more space for aesthetics in the education system where children can be taught to be more sensitive to arts,” he said. He also emphasized the importance of encouraging dramatists to produce new autonomous and creative scripts and the effect of fine criticism and appreciation. “When I entered the field, the awards presented at the Youth Drama Festival as well as the State Drama Festival conferred recognition on budding dramatists. Today, it’s different,” he said. “If something can be done to give a hand to budding dramatists we recognize through drama festivals and award ceremonies to sponsor their theater productions, they will be motivated to produce better scripts,” he opined. He also mentioned that seeking sponsors is a challenge for not only amateurs, but veterans in the field. “This is why many veterans leave the field for other careers,” he said.

He also expressed his contentment on the participation of youth as audience. “I have been to many countries including France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. The majority of their audiences are people who are well past their middle-age. Youth representation is very low,” he said. “Surprisingly, youth representation in our audience is very high. In fact the majority audience here is youth. A similar situation is noted outside Colombo,” he said. However, as he mentioned, their participation decreases when they mature in age and when they are faced with life’s challenges. “When they are young and free they can spend time as they please. When they get married and start families they are forced to drop their ‘cultural habits’ although they don’t want to. I have met many who complain that they can’t find time to go out for a play,” he said.

Sihinna Horu Arang

Speaking about the drama festival which is to be held no August 1, 2 and 3, Dissanayaka said that the theater lovers will be able to experience three dramas with three different themes at the festival. “However, all these themes are woven around contemporary society,” he said. “My latest play, Adara Wasthuwa which premiered a year ago at the same venue will be staged on August 2 celebrating its first year anniversary and also the tenth anniversary of Sihina Horu Aran,” he added. Adara Wasthuwa is a well-crafted drama that explores the ins and outs of human relationships in a society where political and economic gains override ethical concerns. “I think that the warmest wishes I received were for this drama Adara Wasthuwa. The audience loved it better than they liked the others. However, we plan to take a small break after a limited number of runs,” he mentioned.

Reminiscing ups and downs along his path, he said that he has tried his best to give the best and he still believes that the drama is the strongest medium he can use to convey his messages to society. Speaking about his future goals he said that he will make an effort to enhance the aesthetic quality in his plays and will try to find a way and provide the experience of stage plays to a larger audience. “Theater should be improved so that it becomes a better place to experience life, to become more content,” he concluded saying that he will continue to write better scripts as long as there is an audience to appreciate his work.

Somalatha playing for children

 

 

When you play for children you have to give them knowledge while shaping the child’s personality. Our folklore has a lot of wisdom which is capable of doing just this

What we usually take notice about Somalatha Subasinghe is that she is a veteran theater artiste, an educationist, an actress and also a scriptwriter. She is also the pioneering personality behind Sri Lankan children’s theater. What few know is that she is also a talented artist. Her paintings range from portraits to landscapes. They portray love and compassion which are similar to the gifts she bestowed on Sri Lankan theater. “We had a great art master back in school that helped me to improve my talents. I once became first in an interschool art competition. Of course, I couldn’t continue it. But I have my painting in a room all covered with dust,” she laughed compassionately. 

Subasinghe obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1961 from the University of Ceylon, now Peradeniya University. She obtained her Master of Arts Qualified in Drama and Theatre in 1983. Participating in Prof Sarachchandra’s experimental productions as a young undergraduate marked the beginning of Subasinghe’s career. “There was no subject as Drama and theater during that period. I studied Sinhala, Economics and Literature for the Arts degree,” she said. “I think I was immersed in a porridge of culture back in school. Some of the teachers were artistes at Radio Ceylon and a lot of cultural events were held. I believe these opportunities to participate in various cultural events helped me immensely in my later productions.” Subasinghe studied at Musaeus College, Colombo and later joined another school for higher studies.

She was one of the first female stage artistes of Sri Lanka. She then went on to explore her performing prowess under many acclaimed directors. She put forth an explosive performance playing the character of Sara in Mudu Puththu, Gunasena Galappaththi’s adaptation of Garcia Lorca’s Yerma. She also made her mark in Sinhala cinema and well as teledrama, displaying outstanding talent. She was honored for her roles in highly acclaimed film productions, such as Viragaya. She wrote and directed many stage plays, and won the Best Director and Best Translated Production awards for the stage play Yadam and Best Director award for the play Antegone, at State Drama Festivals.  

Her creations reshaped the children’s and youth theatre in Sri Lanka. She received international recognition for productions such as Toppi Welenda (Hat Seller), Punchi Apata Dan Therei (We Know It Now), Rathmalee, Ottooi, Hima Kumariya, and Walas Pawula, she gave the opportunity for children to enjoy theatre. They have showcased our culture at a number of international children’s theatre festivals in Europe and Asia.

Following in the footsteps of her parents – her father was a principal and mother, a teacher – she joined the Ministry of Education as a graduate teacher in 1962. Over the years she held several positions in committees, initiating the inclusion of aesthetics, drama and theatre in primary and secondary school curriculum, for thirteen years. She also had a hand in designing the syllabus for Drama for Advanced Level students.  

She also worked with the Education Ministry, directing and producing plays with school children of all ages and conducted seminars and workshops for teachers in theater and radio programs. She was a visiting lecturer in Theatre Direction and Script Writing for undergraduates at Sri Palee Campus of University of Colombo. Subasinghe has also brought fame to Sri Lanka by representing the country at a number of international conferences, with years of experiences on theatre for children and youth. She was the Sri Lankan representative at the first ever Women’s Playwright Conference held in New York in 1988 and continued to represent Sri Lanka in Women’s Playwright Conferences thereafter.

Subasinghe is the pioneering personality in Children’s theater in Sri Lanka. Before her theater productions, there were no child-oriented productions. Children had to see commonly produced dramas. According to her, she was inspired by the discussions about children’s theater by WB Ratnayake, Gamini Wijesuriya, Bandula Jayawardhane and Nimal Diyasena. “Once they organized a workshop where dramatists from East Germany also participated. These discussions and the influence of Prof Sarachchandra and Gunasena Galappathi inspired me to study more about children’s theater,” she reminisced. “I went to England, Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union to observe children’s theater following a UNESCO fellowship. There I observed that children’s theater is meant for children. Even Othello could have been produced for children like a story. What’s suitable for a 30-year-old is not suitable for an 11-year-old.”

With these experiences and inspirations, she understood the potential of Sri Lankan folklore in shaping a child’s mind. “When you play for children you have to give them knowledge while shaping the child’s personality. Our folklore has a lot of wisdom which is capable of doing just this,” she iterated. “This knowledge should be given through an aesthetic experience; happiness, sadness or humor and songs. The child is entertained by music and rhythm, therefore it’s easy to drive the message home through songs,” she said. “We give sugar-coated bitter medicine to children don’t we? Songs and humor are like the sugar-coat of children’s theater,” she said. She also said that she sees the relationships and conflicts in society as elements in writing scripts for children. 

She believes that all the productions meant for children, television, radio, cinema or theater, should carry a moral value. She detested today’s cartoons, pointing out how hatred and revenge is being promoted. In her plays, she said, she has tried to illustrate peace, harmony and mercifulness so that the child will also learn the same. “One day after Hima Kumariya, a little girl came to me and said that she is angry with me that I didn’t punish the evil stepmother. I told her, ‘Darling she didn’t know that she was doing the wrong thing. Later she agreed to stay with snow white right? So it’s all right not to punish her, isn’t it?’ Not only the evil stepmother in Snow White, the cunning fox in Red Riding Hood was also forgiven by Subasinghe. She said that this must be the influence of the Buddhist philosophy she so admires.

Lanka Children’s and Youth Theatre Foundation (LCYTF), best known as the Play House, Kotte, established by her in 1981 is also one of her greatest contributions towards the betterment of Sri Lankan theater. Under her direction, LCYTF has produced a number of plays including Vikurthi (Distortion). Vikurthi criticized the politics, education system as well as the values of the family system. It was a complete critique of the education system which turns a child into a robot rather than a sensible human being. She was able to empathize with the school children who saw A.Po.Sa – Sa. Pe (Adyayana Podu Sahathika Pathathra- Samanya Pela - GCE Ordinary Level) as Apo Saape! (What a curse!) Today, Vikurthi is acclaimed as a landmark of modern Sinhala Theatre.

She spoke about the limitations producers and directors of today, have to face. As she pointed out, lack of quality theaters and stages is a great barrier for dramatist to create elaborate presentations. “There should be intimacy between the audience and the actor during the play. A message has be conveyed by the theater man to the audience. That message should get across to the audience,” she explained. “The physical, facial expression of the actor and the voice should reach all the members of the audience. This would not be satisfied if the theater is too large although it has all the sophisticated acoustics or facilities,” she added. According to her, the principles of theater have changed immensely during the past few decades.

“You can’t play theater for thousands of people at once,” she pointed out. She also said that there is no ideal stage for theater productions, other than Lionel Wendt, in the country and it’s a huge disadvantage that the country does not possess theaters that could please the dramatist as well as the audience simultaneously. “We need theaters at least in three or four cities other than Colombo. This is an aspect which is not attended to at all,” she expressed her grief.

She spoke about the family values in society today. “The mother in the society today is not family centered. She is more concerned about the outside. They are in a race with the others and they want their children to follow them. Attention, love and compassion towards the child are not demonstrated enough. It is postponed or neglected because of their need to keep up with the rest of society,” she said. “I have observed that some of the young actors who don’t even have a proper place to live use sophisticated technology such as texting and taking pictures. Surprisingly, parents also support them in these. Parents are compelled to do so due to unemployment,” she opined.  

Subasinghe conquered her home as she conquered theater. Being a busy woman for many years, playing many roles in theater and in society she believes that the contemporary woman is capable of doing much more than what she does. “All you need is to have courage,’ she emphasized. “I managed my time. I always planned what I do, including how I am going to spend my free time. That is how I did all these,” she said.

She continued to speak about the women’s role in the family. “It is not that the man has sent the woman to the kitchen, but it is the woman’s self-consciousness that makes her think she belongs there,” Subasinghe said that Sri Lankan women have still not fully identified what they are capable of. “She is very clever at taking all the responsibility into her hand after marriage. She will do everything from preparing tea in the morning. And after the baby comes, she will be caged in her own house. Nobody told her to be so. Don’t you think that she is responsible for herself?” she posed a question.

Pics by Sakuna Gamage

Dr. Jayalath Manoratne is fifteen thousand days strong

 Theater’s potential to shift politics

 

Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

“It’s almost 15,000 days since I first set foot on a stage. This is why the festival was named Dawas Pahalos Daha (Fifteen thousand days). In other words it’s been almost 45 years since then,” Dr. Jayalath Manoratne told The Nation, speaking about his drama festival which is scheduled to commence tomorrow. Seven dramas out of 12 he has scripted and directed will be staged at the festival. “We always try to do a similar festival every five to six years, since it helps university and school students engaged in theater and it offers a great opportunity for anyone rehearsal who is in love with theater,” he said. “It is also a great opportunity for us, as we get to meet the audience, talk to them and see what they feel or whether their expectations were fulfilled.” He explained that this creates a sub culture within the field, which he sees as a blessing in the development in Sri Lankan theater.

Dr. Manoratne, fondly referred to as Mano, is an extraordinary character on the stage. He has mastered singing, acting, directing as well as playwriting. His folk songs, stage songs and Noorthi enrich Sinhala song culture. Although he has acted in several tele-dramas and movies and was highly appreciated for his contribution, his love for the theater remains steadfast. Manoratne has won several awards including the State Drama Awards for best actor, director and also playwright during his journey of 45 years. Peradeniya University presented him with a Doctorate in Literature (D. Litt) honoring the service he has rendered to the field of arts.

Manoratne was born on June 12, 1948 in the village called Dehipe in Nuwara Eliya District. “My village was a farming village. During spare time after harvesting, villagers act out folk plays such as Sokari or Sandakinduru and I felt the wonder of it. That’s how I became enthusiastic about plays,” he explained. Receiving his primary education from Dehipe Mixed School, Manoratne entered Poramadulla Madya Maha Vidyalaya for his secondary education. “Sunil Sriyananda, music teacher of our school was the earliest to recognize my talent. He selected me for many school dramas he produced. I was selected for the main role of the school play, Assa Gudun and it won the first place at the Interschool Drama Competition of Central Province the same year,” he recalled.

Passing his advanced level examination in the arts stream he entered Peradeniya University in 1966. Fortunate enough to learn under a legend, Prof Ediriweera Sarachchandara, he set foot on popular theater during his university days. Being one of Prof Ediriweera’s brightest students, Manoratne got to act in his play, Pematho Jayathi Soko. He also contributed to Maname and Singhabahu. Since then, he has been engaged in theater work for over 45 years, continuously. His latest production, based on the life of the last Sinhala king Weera Parakrama Narendra Singha, Sellan Nirindu, was staged for the first time last December. With Manoratne himself enacting the main role as Narendra Singha, who was said to be a flamboyant king, Manoratne said that this story relates to the present social situation.

Prof Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Henry Jayasena, Sugathapala de Silva, Dayananda Gunawardena and Gunasena Galappaththi are the five pillars of modern Sri Lankan stage. They were all able to create unique styles. “These five were exceptional and I got the opportunity to act under all of them. Their knowledge on local and foreign stages was a blessing; it was like studying in five different universities,” he said. “They enlightened us about theater studies and my love and respect towards the theater grew.” Gaining knowledge under veterans for many years, Manoratne wrote and produced his own play, Maha Giri Damba in 1980.

So far he has written and produced 11 stage plays. Puthra Samagama; a translation of Alexander Vampilov’s The Elder Son is the only adaptation among his plays. “I love to experiment with different styles,” said Manoratne. He uses both naturalized (Swabhawika) and stylized (Shailigatha) genres. Most of my experimental plays fall into the documentary genre.” Documentary theatre was first introduced to the Sri Lankan audience by Dayananda Gunawardena through Gajaman Puwatha. According him historical incidents and biographies can be staged in documentary form. “Historical stories are adapted according to the contemporary society. Many parallels can be drawn between incidents that took place in the 1700s or 1600s and present. It’s true that history repeats,” he said.

Manoratne admitted that he has noticed a lack of interest, on the part of the younger generation, in developing their own style. “However a handful of amateurs are keen on experiments rather than following the same old styles. Eventually they’ll find the best style suited for them. This would only happen with maturity and experience,” he noted. He also noted that youngsters are more interested in foreign scripts. “I think 99 percent of the dramas written by the youngsters are adaptations. As with styles, autonomous scripts are very rare. I have noticed a lack of interest towards native styles,” he emphasized. “I don’t say this is off beam, but if you take foreign countries like USA, Germany or Italy; they seem to have built-up their own identity even though their theater does not have a long history,” he added. Manoratne stressed that if the dramatists want to build-up a unique identity on Sri Lankan stage, they should be exposed to native drama styles. He said that it is not fair to complain about lack of opportunities anymore since Drama and theater studies are a subject in school and university curriculum.

Manoratne has staged his plays in many countries. With over 45 years of experience and knowledge he gathered traveling around the world, Manoratne observes that, compared to world theater Sri Lankan plays are still in a primitive stage. “Recently we had shows in Nikaweratiya, Bandarawela and Ampara. I was in those places in 1970s. I notice no development in these theaters, not the least bit,” he expressed his displeasure. “I don’t think any of the responsible parties have noticed this. It’s the spirit of the dramatists that takes their dramas around the country,” he said. “We can’t wait until all these issues are resolved. We can only do our best with the resources available to us,” he added. He said that the massive crowds the theaters in rural areas draw is proof that audiences still love theater despite these shortcomings. He also spoke about the need of preserving the scripts as well as plays and pointed out that currently there is no such system.

According to Manoratne, the number of people in the audience fluctuates from time to time depending on the country’s social situation. “There was a huge decrease in numbers during the war. Now it’s comparatively high. There is a small decrease in numbers these few days because of the election,” he said. He noted a general decrease in the numbers with the impact of the television. “There is an increase in the numbers again now. It’s a good sign,” he added. While explaining he said that the quality of what dramatists gift the audience should be looked into as some dramatists try to sell ‘cheap laugh’ to the audience. “There are a few who always act responsibly to present dramas of aesthetic quality.”

There are folk, popular and classical plays. Classics are few and the average audience is rarely exposed to these as opposed to popular or folk dramas. Manoratne pointed out that Sri Lankan dramatists have misunderstood the concept behind popular dramas. “Dramas cannot be called popular dramas just because they are widespread. Popular dramas are not like classics. They might be simple, but the storyline conveys a strong message. Our dramatists have mistaken it for humor and profanity,” he noted. “Making the audience laugh should not be the motive of the dramatist. Laugh is essential, but it should be meaningful,” he reiterated. Manoratne said that the audience should laugh, but they should be made to think what and whom they are laughing at, at the end of the play. He elaborated on this fact using Prof Sarachchandra’s Mahasara, KB Herath’s Mayadevi and his own script Andarela as examples. “Dramatists should see to it that the audience is enlightened with the artistry,” he said.

He also spoke about theater’s potential to change a person’s political ideologies. As he explained, a strong political message could be sent to the audience through a play. Manoratne emphasized that an artiste does not have to engage in party politics to make the country better, contrary to many Sri Lankan artistes who choose party politics to ‘serve the country’. “I do vote for a political party which compliments my views. But I don’t do political campaigns for them. It’s unnecessary,” he reiterated. “A dramatist’s responsibility is to serve the common man, but he doesn’t have to restrict himself to a political party.”

 

Manoratne’s stage plays

Maha Giri Daba (1980)

Puthra Samagama (1985)

Thala Mala Pipila (1988)

Andarela (1993)

Guru Tharuwa

Sanda Gira

Kaneru Mal

Lokaya Thani Yayak

Sudu Redi Horu

Buruwa Mahaththaya

Rehearsals of Lokaya Thani Yayak

Sellam Nirindu (2013)