Prasanna returns to stage after 14 years with 'Horu Samaga Heluwen'

STAGE: Prasanna Vithanage's latest stage play "Horu Samaga Heluwen", will go on the boards today at 7.00 p.m. at the Elphinstone Theatre, Maradana.

Last week, all at once a rash of posters appeared on Colombo city walls and hoardings with red letters proclaiming "Mulu Ratama Horu Samaga Heluwen" (The country is in the nude with thieves).

No one had a clue as to who was behind it. But now we know his identity. He is none other than Prasanna Vithanage.

He needs no special introduction. We know Prasanna as a versatile film director who created several films including "Sisila Gini Gani" and "Purahanda Kaluwara" (Death on a Full Moon Day) and some of them won international acclaim as well.

Veteran actor Joe Abeywickrama won the Best Actor's award for "Purahanda Kaluwara" at the 12th International Film Festival held in Singapore in 1999. The film also won the International Critics Award (Fripesco) for the Best Film at the Switzerland Friborg Film Festival.

Before Prasanna entered the film industry, he learnt the rudiments of the art via the stage.

Through an abiding love for stage plays he created two stage dramas at the very beginning of his career. They were "Victor" and "Avi" (from the Arms and the Man).

He went on to make a name in the celluloid field following these stage plays.

So... after a 14 year break with the stage, which was his first love, the wheel has turned full circle for Prasanna.

"Yes, I am back on stage after 14 years. For the past few years I was busy with films and did not have much time to get involved with the stage.

"But now I think it is the right time for me to come back to the stage and I feel that I should do something different. 'Horu Samaga Heluwen' is the outcome of this," says Prasanna.

'Horu Samaga Heluwen' is an adaptation of two Dario Fo's plays - "The Virtuous Burglar" and "One was Nude - One Wore Tails". Prasanna made this play as a double build. It is a hilarious drama based on politics but not the type of aristocratic politics; it is on clean politics.

"The other major feature in this play is, it talks about nudity, which is a universal theme today. It is a comedy rather than focusing on man and woman. In short it is all about hypocrisy. This is how I would like to introduce my latest stage play," Prasanna says.

The cast in 'Horu Samaga Heluwen' include Jayalath Manoratne, Dayadeva Edirisinghe, Saumya Liyanage, Jayani Senanayaka, Gayani Gisanthika, Gihan Fernando, Prasad Sooriyaarachchi, Wasantha Weerakkody (who is also the Costume Designer) and Hashinika Karaliyadde.

Music is directed by Tharupathi Munasinghe. Make-up is by Buddhadasa Galappatti, Stage managed by Chandana Nishantha Peiris and assisted by Asoka Zoysa. The Assistant Director is Prasad Perera.

'Horu Samaga Heluwen' is produced by Rohan Samaradivakara while Jude Srimal handles the chief organising part of the show.

Sunil appointed Honorary Adviser

ARTS: Sri Lanka Arts Council of Australia Inc., has appointed renowned Sri Lankan singer Visharada Sunil Edirisinghe as its Honorary Adviser (Music) and the Coordinator of Sri Lankan Affairs.

The Sri Lanka Arts Council of Australia was incorporated in 1997 under the Association Incorporation Act 1984 of New South Wales as a non profit organisation.

During the past, it has been able to produce DVDs of the Jim Anderson Memorial Concert and Victor Ratnayake's concert in Sydney using state-of-the-art technology.

Janaka brings life to puppetry

PERSONALITY: Puppet dance in Sri Lanka, which has its origins in Ambalangoda, is manipulated with strings.

But a Sri Lankan youth hailing from Gampaha, Asgiriya was talented enough to provide a new dimension to the art of 'puppetry' by doing his own act through the 'Depanama Rookada' program telecast over Sirasa popular series "Api Nodanna Live".

He is Janaka Ranasinghe.

"Although I have been performing many characters during my acting career, I rose to popularity only after the "Depanama Rookada" programme that was included in the "Api Nodanna Live" series popularly known as "Ala", Janaka said.

Janaka has undergone drama training under Jayalal Rohana.

Janaka has played several prominent roles in teledramas including "Sathi Pooja", "Yaso Mandira", "Sasadara", "Indi Kadulla", "Veeduru Biththi" and "Hada Vasanthaya".

He has also played supporting roles in six films including "Re Daniel Daval Migel" directed by Roy de Silva and "Numba Nadan Apata Pissu" directed by Milton Jayawardena. Janaka dubs for the lead role and theme song of "Sura Pappa", a popular children's cartoon series.

"Apart from my acting career, I am involved in art as a make-up artist too. Jayalal Rohana and J. Suranimala are my mentors in make-up art. 'Kabal Joduwa' is a stage drama that I produced in 2000 and Hasanika Karaliyadde received the Best Actress award for her role in it at the State Short Drama Festival in 2000. I received a merit award for my role too," he said.

Janaka who has not limited himself to acting and make-up is on a special mission these days to promote street dramas among the public in remote areas of the North-Central Province including Mahakanadarawa, Kudagama, Mihintale, Madirigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Palliyagodella.

He has called this mission "Bicycle Theatre" because he and fellow members including Udaya Tennakoon, Ruwan Madanayake, Chamin Dissanayake and Damian Jayalath travel by bicycles to these areas to promote the street drama culture.