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Banal and predictable yet dramatic

by Passanna Gunasekera

Last weekend Jehan Aloysius and CentreStage Productions treated the Colombo theatregoers to a somewhat banal and predictable yet a dramatic presentation that cannot be labelled as bad. However, ordinary the plot was the kolam and thovil as interludes broke the monotony! So the best thing about 'The Ritual' was that it took place outdoors, under the stars in the garden of the British Council. The setting was a rural village where dowry was essential for marriage, where old-fashioned mother-in-law, daughter-in-law squabbles existed and where the village gossip sniffed around for 'somebody's something'.

Kalani played by Avanthi Perera has been married to Chandra played by Jehan Aloysius for two years has not been able to produce a grandchild. Tracy Holsinger as Karunawathie the mother-in-law therefore harasses her endlessly. In spite of being a village damsel clad in reddha hatte Kalani retaliates. Once she even screams, 'I hate you'.

Now let along the rural damsels this sort of thing would rarely happen even with today's 'city' girls. But still it is drama. Characters could be drawn from the people we meet in our day-to-day lives but not a necessity! Anushka and Avanthi brought out the characters of Ariyawthi and Kalani quite well. It was a pity that at some instances the audience heard muffled speech, shouts and screams.

Tracy's attempt to portray Karunawathi was not as successful as the character portrayal of the former two. Jehan as Chandra was so natural, a rustic sarong-clad music teacher he was. However, Sujeewa alias Suji (I wouln't know his real name) Chandra's younger brother who secretly has a sexual relationship with his sister-in-law Kalani appeared to be the amateur where acting was concerned. The audience could have done with much more gusto!

I however feel that Colombo audiences find it difficult to react to scripts based in the deep ends of the countryside, characters in redda hatte and sarong style but speak the international language with 'elocuted' accents.

The only thing that could be identified as Sri Lankan was the aney's and the no's (aney what a generous woman Karunawathi was no...) But again it is drama so...

If dramas are dogmatic since in most cases there is a message conveyed, this one I sincerely hope had no teenagers around ,for Karunawathi is slapped across the face by Chandra her eldest son and almost strangled to death twice over and towards the end the younger son Suji kills his own mother. Entirely because they cannot afford to witness their wife and lover being berated by the mother.

Imagine what a lesson it would have taught the teenagers of today, committing murder all for the sake of love? This time a little too grave to be shrugged off as drama! There was violence, infidelity, gossip, the pain of losing your child even before birth, murder, in abundance but at the same time generosity, a husband who is faithful to the wife, immature love in small ounces.

But I am certain that we will all be there for the next production (I am hoping against hope that it will be outdoors too) of the CentreStage Productions so it is not as if the audience has not enjoyed the show hmm?

Two books by Malalgoda Bandutilleke

The fourth edition of "N.M."which is a biography of the late founder of the Leftist Movement in Sri Lanka and the contemporary political history of his time is a work by veteran book writer Malalgoda Bandutilleke, who wrote "Sri Lankawe Methivarana Puranaya" (Epic of Sri Lankan Electioneering).

"Sri Lankawe Methivarana Puranaya" is a research work illustrating the electoral development of Sri Lanka from the imperialist colonial era of 1912 up to 2001 General Election embodying the results and analytical review of all elections held since Sri Lanka gaining universal franchise in 1931.

The book "N.M." contains the life story and the fifty year long leftist political career of this great pioneer of the Leftist Movement in Sri Lanka and is recommended for biography reading for external under graduates of mass media curriculum in the Kelaniya University. The book is also recommended by the Educational Publications Advisory Board of the Education and Higher Education Ministry as a school library book.

"By writing the book "N.M." Bandu has discharged his duty by the posterity to keep on record the vision, life force and memories of a political leader who is one of the supreme and sublime lived in the 20th century" is a comment made on the book by a leading critic of our time.

The new print is available at Shega Enterprises, 229, Castle Street, Colombo 8.

International Thamils' archives

by K. S. Sivakumaran

It might be interesting to the readers that a gentleman from Kurumbasiddy in the Jaffna peninsula and now living in Kandy is doing a valuable service for the benefit of researchers belonging to whatever community we belong to. Valuable material concerning our country is being microfilmed in 60 mm in 1200 pages and 35 mm in 600 pages.

The man behind this venture is Kurumbasiddy Era. Kanagaratnam and his web site is: http://www.tamilita.org He is on the phone on 08-233547. His archives is called International Thamils' Archives. In Thamil it is called 'Ulahath Thamilar Aavanakapaham'.

He informs that with the kind assistance of Norad, he has filmed about 100 years history of the Thamil speaking communities of Sri Lanka for posterity, and adds "we wish to deposit duplicate copies in various locations. Duplicate copies are available on request".

Documents relating from 1864 to August 2001, mainly printed matter, are available in microfilm.

Some of these are: Ceylon Patriot/Thesabimani (1864), Political Clippings taken from the Hindu Organ (1899-1929), Times of Ceylon Supplement on Jaffna (1924), Political news clippings taken from English/Tamil newspapers of Sri Lanka (1930-1997), Tribune (1954-1977), Independent (1977-1978), Saturday Review (1982-1999), Lanka Guardian (1982-1999), London Thamil Times (1996-2001), Thamil Culture, and also many other materials including political cartoons.

I feel that this effort is laudable. Microfilming of interviews with respected celebrities incorporating illustrations of their contribution is also desirable.

As the next step Mr. Kanagaratnam should also deposit in archives the positive contributions the members of other communities have made in understanding and building up bridges amongst our various communities in this multi-faceted country of ours.

I notice that Mr. Kanagaratnam has so far documented only the political aspects of the Tamils in this country and not so much on cultural, social and other aspects. Of course he has profiled Thamil publications like the Eelakesari (1930-1957), Suthanthiran (1947-1952), Kesari (1946-1948), Viduthali (1967-1973), Thisai (1989-1990), Sari Nihar (1990-2001), Thina Murasu (1993-2001), France Eelamurasu (1996-2001) and Idi (2001) - all of which might have articles and features on culture including literature.

I would suggest that little magazines that have died and the existing ones like Moonthravathu Manithan, Gnanam, Mallikai, Yatra, Thayaham, Vibhavi could also be made into microfilms. They contain valuable material. Politics is no doubt an important element in our life and it is only one aspect in understanding people. There are other aspects too.

Nevertheless Mr. Era Kanagaratnam should be congratulated for his enterprising spirit. We all need to thank him on this project.

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