Dilemma after winning a Fellowship

Theatre: About the time we were doing 'Tavat Udesanak' the Ministry of Education had called for applications for the offer of a UNESCO Fellowship for the study of Drama and Theatre.

The applicants had to have minimum qualifications of having passed at least the Senior School Certificate with the minimum of a credit pass in the English language and experience as a playwright and director on the home stage.

My friend Gunasena Galappatty had just returned from the US after spending some time there studying theatre on a rather prestigious US grant. A visiting American lady - most likely with attachments to the State Dept. - had seen Galappatty's 'Sanda Kinduru' and was so impressed with it, she had promoted this scholarship for Gunasena Galappatty.

My friend 'Galaa' was full of his experiences in the US and related to us all that he had seen and experienced in the realm of theatre and theatre people in the US (particularly in New York) over a beer at the Art Centre Club and I envied him.

Dr. Sarachchandra had earlier described to us about the wonders of the traditional Kabuki and Noh theatres of Japan and about the love of the Japanese people for their theatre.

A few others of the era who had 'gone abroad' (quite a prestigious thing to happen to lesser persons like us in those days!) for one thing or another, not necessarily related to the 'theatre', also had all kinds of wonderful experiences to relate to us 'lesser beings' who had never been abroad!

After listening to all these people, I too was itching to 'go abroad' and learn more about theatre. So, when I saw the call for applications in the Govt. Gazette, I promptly applied. I had all the qualifications called for.

I had credit passes in English Language and English Literature in the Senior School Certificate Examination. I had also directed at least seven plays on the home stage - three of them adaptations and the other four my own writings. I thought I had a good chance.

Interview

Just after we had premiered 'Tavat Udesanak' I received a letter from the Ministry of Education calling me for an interview for the Fellowship. It was held at one of the offices of the Ministry at Malay Street. As I walked into the room I noticed that the chairman of the interview board was Mr. S. F. de Silva who was Director of Education at that time.

I was very happy that he was there. I knew that he had seen some of my plays. "Ah, here is the man we want." Mr. de Silva declared quite openly as I sat down. "I have seen almost all his productions. This young man is the most suitable man for this thing..." he added.

I was overjoyed to say the least. The rest of the interview board were smiling and looking at the papers in front of them. They asked me a few questions and let me go.

I cannot recall who else had come for that interview. It could not have been many. There were only a few of us who would have qualified to apply. And some of them like Galappatty and P. Welikala had already been abroad for this kind of training.

Soon I received a letter to say that I have been selected for the Fellowship. I could have danced in the streets for joy. The letter also gave in detail all the facilities the recipient was entitled to. In fact they were much more than one could expect.

The Fellowship was for an initial period of six months, extendable by another period of three months, depending on how well one had fared and the sponsors - the UNESCO authorities in Paris - approve the extension.

The candidate had to select the country or countries where he would like to receive his training. He also had to identify the institutions he would prefer for such training. All expenses of travel, accommodation, educational material, training fees etc. would be met by the sponsors.

This was too good to be true. It also put me in a bit of a spot. Firstly. I was not quite sure which country would be best. I knew that Galappatty had gone to the States and that he was full of it. I also knew that Dr. Sarachchandra had been to Japan and that he was full of it. Others who had been to England and France etc. were full of such places.

I knew something about theatre in England through a monthly publication called 'Plays and Players' which was available at The British Council Library. The USIS library too had various magazines and publications which gave a fair picture of what was happening in the American Theatre.

I was also aware of some of the theatre/actor training institutes in these countries by hearsay and by reading. I wanted to go to the best places and learn as much as I could.

Dilemma

I was in quite a dilemma as to which country to choose. Many were the advice offered. 'Henry, you should got o the States," said Galappatty. "Why not India?" said Dr. Sarachchandra. "Go to UK," said another.

"Ado, go to France," said yet another. "You will go mad when you see the girls there!" "Machang, select the easiest country, which will offer the least amount of work. Save all the money you can. And bring back a nice car - a Peugeot, or a Volks, a Morris or a Vaxhual - whatever that looks nice and trendy. That's what everybody does Machang... Don't lose this opportunity Machang. You'll never get another. So make full use of it Machang...," was the advice of a slightly inebriated much travelled bloke who had somehow manoeuvred various Govt. assignments and scholarships etc. and had done exactly what he preached.

I was getting rather weary of the whole thing. What with so much information to gather, so many 'experts' to listen to, so many forms to fill and so many chaps talking so much balderdash. I was racking my brains to think of someone who could give me some good solid advice.

I did not want to look a fool in the eyes of the Ministry or the sponsors when my proposals went up to them. Then I suddenly remembered my friend and mentor - Senator Reggie Perera. I called him at the Senate House and was fortunate to get at him. I explained my problem to him briefly and I could feel him listening to me with little grunts and guffaws.

"So you have won a scholarship Henry, that's great," he boomed. "And you want some advice. Okay, come. Come immediately. I will be at the Senate canteen in five minutes." Almost instinctively I knew I had got the right man.

I felt elated as I walked up Chatham Street up to the Clock Tower and turned right to reach the Senate building to keep my appointment with Senator Reggie Perera. I felt that passersby were smiling with me and that they were nodding their heads in wise appreciation.

Predicament

"Come, come!: boomed the Senator as I entered the senate canteen plus lunch hall plus bar! He was dressed in his usual spotless white suit and he signalled me to a chair in front of him. Then he rested his elbows on the spotlessly white covered table and leaned towards me resting his square jaw on his cupped hands, looking at me as if he was looking at a child he was rather fond of.

I did not wait. I told him as briefly as possible, my predicament - particularly about the difficulty in selecting the CORRECT country to study my subject - Drama and Theatre. He listened very carefully without a single interruption.

"My dear fellow." He said looking at me intently, after listening to my 'tale of woe'. "The Soviet Union, my dear fellow. Russia. Russia is the place you should go to if you want to study serious theatre". He concluded looking very wise and conclusive. I was taken aback for a while. I knew very little about the Soviet Theatre.

I knew a little about their great literature. I had read some of their great novels such as Crime and Punishment, The Mother, The Irkutsky Story, Fate of a Man etc. and some of the plays of Chekov and Gorky. But about their Theatre I knew next to nothing.

I had heard of their famed Bolshoi Ballet. Had seen pictures of the famous Swan Lake etc. at the Soviet cultural House in Colombo. My friend Senator Reggie of course had been to the Soviet Union many times, seen a lot of their theatre and he knew what he was talking about.

'But Reggie, there is the language barrier. They must be having all their plays in Russian. I don't know a word of Russian. And I don't think they conduct any training classes in English...?" I managed to say after thinking about it for some time.

Reggie looked at me as if he was looking at a lost child. "My dear Henry.." He boomed this time. 'There is no language to art. Is there a language to music, to painting, to sculpture? Of course your 'Theatre' will have a stage language for those who listen. My dear chap, surely you are not going only to listen to theatre, you are going to see them. Study their various methods.

All the arts and crafts that go with the theatre. In any case, most likely they will provide you with an interpreter. And you would already know some of their great plays by Chekov, Gorky, Mayakovsky etc. And you will learn enough Russian within a month or two - enough to speak and understand..."

Reggie pause while I listened spellbound. He raised his eyes and raised his hand making a signal to someone. "Kapuge..." said Reggie to one of the waiters in the canteen and showed a 'V' with his index finger and the middle finger, and smiled - a rather mischievous smile. Kapuge, the waiter, could be seen nodding and fading towards the bar.

While I was making further protests about 'language' etc. Kapuge placed two glassed half filled with the old stuff and a bubbling bottle of cooled soda before us and disappeared. Reggie filled his glass with the bubbling soda and added some to mine too. He took a nice gulp, made a face and wiped his mouth with his coat sleeve. I took a small gulp from my own glass and looked on, for more reasoning from Reggie.

And, Henry," he obliged immediately. "Right now we have Breckenridge in Moscow!" He almost roared. "What's Breckenridge?" I responded innocently. Is that a new Soviet play?" Reggie nearly burst on his drink and started laughing.

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