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| Monday, 3 November 2003 |
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Short Drama Competition - 2003: Forum of conscience of the youth by E. M. G. Edirisinghe It is only eight years since the Sinhala Drama Panel commenced the Short Drama (One Act Plays) competition to run concurrently with the main event of the State Drama Festival. Since its launch in the mid-nineties, it won the hearts of the young dramatists among whom since then is the most popular edition of theatre. After several years of growing, now it is the forum of conscience of the youth who ventilate their wrath and frustration in the hardest possible stage language on issues ranging from politics, education, culture and sex to religion. They see all norms and traditions are perpetuated for the honour of the nobility and promotion of capitalism two institutions they believe should be torn and split. In the first few years of short dramas, the youth concentrated mostly on love and sex which they saw as destined to fail unable to reach fulfilment in an environment of social and cultural hostile norms customarily governing man and woman relationship. However, the emphasis changed by the turn of the century and the focus shifted to reflect diversification of themes which spoke of complex multi-lateral issues. Stage one singular vibrant forum which the promising, talented and gifted youth who relish to experiment on various social and emotional issues and express themselves without any hindrance. Short drama rejects conventionalism and conservatism, and embrances radicalism and nihilism. They find the medium of one act play is penetrative, impressive and absorbing which make the audience to respond instantly and positively. Youth theatre of which short plays form the foundation, naturally reflects the views of a cross-section of an important segment of the society. A regular follower of short drama festival will not find it difficult to understand the mentality of the youth at the time of each competition. One act plays go straight into the plot like an arrow without any distraction and with no daddle or dawdler. Its intensity keeps the play moving without allowing a moment to relax. A single point or issue is pursued and presented forcefully. The viewer at the end, either accepts it or rejects it. A short play neither complicates the plot nor confuses the viewer. Generally, a compact neat strong one act play has a sting that wakes up the theatregoer. This year most of the plays staged at the festival, lacked this sting. At the festival this year, display of displeasure about moral laws and traditional values fervently held by the social elite were poignantly challenged. The playwrights were very critical of the whole system which sustains a decadent order with many contradictions and false values. Events and incidents in life bring pressure upon man whose social and personal life is swallowed up by these very social forces driving away whatever left of happiness in him. That was what Karaththaya (The Cart) told us on stage. Similarly, Hathara Riyana (Four Cubits) concentrates on whatever man does in life, his existence is determined by a mere 4 cubits of earth (the grave) which becomes man's only last possession to which he holds on for ever. Women's plight in finding a suitable man for marriage is always predicated by many other motives that exist beyond the union of marriage. Is it only a design to obtain licence to sexually exploit her? Within this context of extra-marital considerations, the woman is reduced to a mere commodity open for trading and bargain, Kasadaya (Marriage) seems to say. It questions the validity of continuation of this hypocrisy. Amnesia portrays a highly hypothetical situation where a man involuntarily goes to his own wife under the notion that he was going to his mistress. This situation explains how a man with split loyalty and love is subconsciously disturbed and the subconscious unconsciously rises against the conscious at every time he was with the other. However, poor acting took the sting away from this play. Romantic Minihek (A Romantic man) evidently the best play of the festival is another point of view on woman whom man treats as a tool, and takes love as only a place for rest with money and prestige holding dominance over life. The woman however disillusioned about men and love, finally yields to the pressure of economic reconciliation to secure money and fame. On the other hand, Manthri Saudama (Saga of MP) is a rap on the selfish crazy Parliamentarians who promise everything and do nothing. Nivan Yanakan (Until Nibbana) dips into the spiritual content of the clergy and examines how far he could meet and overcome the challenges he faces in material contacts. Manifest dedication to spiritualism is vitiated and threatened by the mundane environment and take cover under robes to hide the polluted soul. students in Koachchiyak Enakan (Until Train Comes) with no hope for future and rendered uncertain about the present as well, were waiting for something to happen when they hear of a teacher coming, which revived their hopes. Once again their hopes were dashed when the train in which the teacher was travelling had caught in a bomb-blast. An inquisitive young man calls on a masseuse to learn about her life and her profession, and finally ends up totally frustrated when she told him that she was a married woman and what she was doing was purely to earn her livelihood. The ideal woman whom one wish to get married is still elusive. That was the substance of Massage. It portrays the aspirations of the present day youth getting lost in between sex and marriage. While the thematic content of these plays remained pertinents to the prevailing issues and practices affecting the life of the youth specially the educated youth, they lacked the art and neat finish, and the intellectual penetration and analytical touch such plays were expected to reflect. However, the concept of short plays (one act plays) is now deeply rooted in the Sri Lankan theatre tradition with the emerging educated youth using the opening to express themselves. Production of a short play generally of about 15-30 minutes duration is affordable and within their limited financial resources. One important factor that should receive the attention of the Drama panel is to take the best of these plays to the outstations for the theatre enthusiasts there to view them. Otherwise the talent and hard work of the youth would be much wasted. Short plays are generally not crowd-pullers however exciting, absorbing
or artful they are. The short plays could be introduced as a first step in
the direction of enjoying good theatre. They could be aesthetically and
intellectually appealing to the participants at state functions and
national celebrations. Lanka invited for flag and drum festival Sri Lanka has been invited for next year's Flag and Drum festival that will be held in Taipei, Taiwan. This annual festival was not held this year due to the SARS scare in East Asia. Tilak Fernando, Director of the Sri Lanka-Taiwan Cultural Exchange Programme said the troupe will consist of a maximum of 10 persons. The festival is expected to go on for 30 days during which the troupes from over a dozen, especially invited countries will perform at different venues in Taiwan. Those participating should be between 18 and 25 years and should pay for their own airfare while ground hospitality would be provided for the 30 day period. Any organisation or school interested in participating may contact Tilak Fernando at No. 103, Hampden Lane, Colombo 6 for details. Dilma leads dancers to Taiwan Dilma Abeyratne, a village lass from Pannawa - a remote village in Wayamba (NWP) has been appointed as the leader of the eight-member Sri Lanka dance troupe that will leave the island shortly for a dance recital in Taiwan.
Dilma represented Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Cultural Festival in Male in 2002 and was also selected early this year for a six-month dance programme in Taiwan. Dilma has a pleasing personality while being a versatile dancer who can perform Kandyan Dancing, Sri Lankan Folk Dancing and also Indian Dancing. She will be the leader of the eight dancers four of whom will be males. Dilma said that she was delighted at her new appointment and said she will contribute whatever she can to bring Sri Lankan dancing to Taiwan. She said this was a new way of earning valuable foreign exchange for the country. Down memory lane with Mariazelle It's going to be a gala celebration indeed with none other than Sri Lanka's superstar Mariazelle Goonetilleke, who takes friends and fans down memory lane at a not to-be-missed concert on November 26 at the BMICH. Says Mariazelle: "To have remained as I am in the music scene for 35 years, retaining and who and what I am is a most difficult thing. It's a feeling of elation because of the struggles I have faced to come out on top. This concert is also an occasion to say 'thank you' to everyone who has helped me with love in their hearts and made my name what it is today. I am grateful to the 'Three Roses Sports and Welfare Club' - Kalubowila, for agreeing to help organise this concert despite the many obstacles". 30 + 5 = A celebration will feature Sohan Weerasinghe, Dalreen Suby, Wathsala Goonetilleke, Bathiya and Santhush, The Junior Rhythmiers, Piyal Perera and Chandral Fonseka, among others. They will be backed by the band "Kings", along with violinists, flutists, and a tablist. This show is sponsored by the Sunday Observer and the Sarasaviya, and is in aid of Ward 16 (Maternity) of the Colombo South National Hospital at Kalubowila. Comeback for ABBA Agnetha next year STOCKHOLM, Oct 31 (Reuters) Agnetha Faltskog, the blonde singer in 1970's Swedish pop phenomenon ABBA, will break an 18-year silence with a new record out in March next year, her company said on Friday. The other members of the successful quartet have since the split in 1982 remained in the spotlight but media-shy Faltskog, now 53, opted for a secluded life outside of Stockholm. She last recorded in 1986. Staffan Linde, the chief executive of Faltskog's firm, did not want to say what kind of music the new record will feature, but said a single will probably be released in January. ABBA rose to fame in 1974 after winning the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Waterloo', later followed by hits such as 'Dancing Queen' and 'Knowing Me, Knowing you'. So far the group has declined all offers of a joint comeback and Linde did not think a reunion was on the cards. "I have not heard about such a thing, and I would not think so," he told Reuters. |
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According to Tilak Fernando the Director of the Sri Lanka-Taiwan
Cultural Exchange Programme, Dilma is a versatile dancer having obtained
her Diploma in Dancing after successfully passing out after a 3-year
residential training programme conducted by the National Youth Services
Council at their Campus in Belwood.
