Offer of a job by a State Minister

THEATRE: The 1966 Drama Festival was significant for many reasons. To begin with, as many as sixteen plays were featured in that Festival. According to Nalan Mendis's very useful book Sri Lanka Natya Uthsava Ithihaasaya (The History of Drama Festivals in Sri Lanka) the 16 plays featured in the Festival were as follows: Nov. 2 - Henry Jayasena's Ahas Maaliga, (adaptation from Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie), Nov. 3 - Premaranjith Tillekeratne's Ammai Appai (adaptation from August Strindberg's The Father), Nov. 4 - Gamini Wickramasuiriya's Hevaneli (adaptation from Henrik Ibsen's The Ghosts),, Nov. 9 - P. Welikala's Thaaththa (an adaptation of a Japanese play by Kikuchi Kang) together with J.H. Jayawardhana's Don Siman (adaptation of Charles Lee's Mr. Samson, adapted by A.P. Gunaratne, the translator of the ever green Village in the Jungle of Leonard Woolf), Nov. 10 - Sunanda Mahendra de Mel's Sayuren Aa Landa (adaptation from Henrik Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea), Nov. 11 - Amardasa Jayatunge's Viduru Diva (an original play), Nov. 16 -Lucien Bulathsinhala's Nonimena Gini (an original play), Nov. 17 - S. Karunaratne's Erabadu Mal Pottu Pipila (an original play in the stylised genre), Nov. 18 - W.B. Makuloluwa's Depaano (original operatic drama - the very first of its kind in the post-independence history of our theatre), Nov. 19 - Henry Jayasena's Manaranjana Vedawarjana (original), Nov. 24 - Ranjith Dharmakeerthi's Nenguram (original) , Nov. 25 - Sugathapala de Silva's Hele Negga Doong Putha (adaptation from Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Nov. 26 - Bandula Jayawardhana's Bihivanu Bosathanani (adaptation from Capek Brothers' Insect Play), Dec. 2 - S. Karunaratne's Malavungen (original), Dec. 3 - Dhamma Jagoda's Ves Muhunu (adaptation from Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar named Desire, Dec. 4 - Piyasena Costa's Ikman Kotai together with Chandrasena Dassnayake's Aandi Tikai Ambalamai (both original plays).

1966 has been the most 'fruitful' year in the history of the annual Drama Festivals conducted by the Arts Council together with the Dept. of Cultural Affairs in this country. I believe it has also been the most 'prestigious' festival so far, as far as participation is concerned.

Except for Dr. Ediriweera Sarachchandra and Dayananda Gunawardhana, practically all the well-known dramatists of the day had participated in this Festival. Let me mention them by name as a record of this unique event. They are Henry Jayasena [two plays], Premaranjith Thillekeratne, P. Welikala, J.H. Jayawardhana, Sunanda Mahendra, Lucien Bulathsinhala, S. Karunaratne [two plays], W.B. Makuloluwa, Ranjith Dharmakeerthi, Sugathapala de Silva, Bandula Jayawardhana, Dhamma Jagoda and Chandrasena Dasanayake .

Chronicle

Reading through Nalan Mendis's chronicle, I am also amazed at the list of actors, actresses and other peripheral participants in this Festival. There are Henry Jayasena, Santin Gunewardhana, Grace de Silva, Manel Jayasena, Felix Premawardhana, Wijeratne Warakagoda, Elson Divituragama, Buddhi Wickrema, Chandra Kaluartchy, Denavaka Hamine, Ayoni Weerasinghe, Monica Weerasinghe, Soma Kiriella, Gamini Wijesuriya, Wally Nanayakkara, Chitra Vakishta, Lloyd Vakishta, J.H. Jayawardhana, Malini Fonseka, Karunaratne Amarasinghe, Sathischandra Edirisinghe, Sumana Aalokabandara, Vijaya Nandasiri, Anula Karunatilleke, Sandun Wijesiri, Lucien Bulathsinhala, W.B. Makuloluwa, Ivor Dennis, Lionel Ranwala, T.M. Jayaratne, Rohana Beddage, Fitzroy de Mel, Chula Kariyawasam, Gunawathie Ramawickrama, Cyril Dharmawardhana, Yasawathie Ramawickrema, Piyasena Gunatilleke, U. Ariyawimal, Karunaratne Amarasinghe, Ananda Sirisena, Agnes Sirisena, Prema Ganegoda, Wickrama Bogoda, Namel Weeramuni, Malini Weeramuni, Dharmasiri Wickramaratne, Navanandana Wijesinghe, Dhamma Jagoda, Sunethra Sarachchandra, Cyril Wickramage, Eileen Sarachchandra, Edward Gunewardhana, Leslie Ratnayake etc. - in that order.

Some of these pioneering men and women are no longer with us. But they remind us of a golden era of our Theatre when theatre houses were full of an extremely enthusiastic, encouraging and totally dedicated crowd of spectators. We had no television then.

We did not have so much of cricket then. We had a much better transport system then that provided buses and trains to take home these eager theatre goers home after the performances were over. Actually special buses were sent to places like the Lumbini Theatre and John de Silva Theatre to take these people to their destinations.

Every new play attracted crowds by the thousands. They applauded what was good and healthy and rejected what was unhealthy and decadent.

Let us take a look at some of the names that came in as composers of music, set designers, costume designers, lighting technicians, stage managers, make-up artistes etc. during those good old days.

That insuperable innovator - almost a magician with his lights - Mahinda Dias and his team had lit up almost all the plays that came on stage, Festival or no Festival. For set and costume designing we come across names such as Gamini Wickramasuriya [of the Ceylon Administrative Service] , Vijaya Dharmasri, Vimaladharma Diyasena, Somabandhu Vidyapathy, Ralex Ranasinghe, and even Ashley Halpe.

For musical creations, background music and conducting of music we have the best of talent in the country. We find the names of men like Shelton Premaratne, H.H. Bandara, W.B. Makuloluwa, Jayatissa Alahakoon, D. Victor Perera, Leslie Fonseka, and Neville Edirisinghe. For choreography and dance movements we see names such as Sri Vasantha Kumara, Amaradasa Jayatunge, Suneth Gokula and Chandrasena Dasanayake. We find names such as A.P. Gunaratne, Vimaladhrama Diyasena, Hapuaratchy Vaidyasekera, Kulasiri Gamage, and even C. de S. Kulatilleke engaged in make-up. Even Sunil Ariyaratne's name is credited with stage assistance what a line up, you would say!

Interesting story

That year - 1966 - I brought out two productions, Manaranjana and Ahas Maaliga. Although Ahas Maaliga was a failure at the Festival, my Manaranjana nearly landed a job on me. That is a rather interesting story. At one of the performances of Manaranjana, Mr. J.R. Jayewardene was chief guest as the then Minister of State.

I remember J.R. seated in the front row of Lumbini Theatre at Havelock Town . He was dressed in a very attractive cream coloured Jaatika suit. He watched the play very intently. After the play was over someone came to me in the dressing room and told me that the Minister wants to see me. I came up to the stage promptly and there was J.R. standing near the stage.

I approached him from the stage and crouched on my knees in order to speak to him at eye level. "That was a very intriguing play, Jayasena," said J.R. as an opener. "A strike is always an intriguing subject, Sir," I responded trying to guess the drift of his comments.

"It is a well directed play - a little disturbing at certain points" he commented. Then he asked me what I was doing, whether I was employed or not and a few other questions. I told him I was working at the PWD as a clerk and other such details.

"Come and see me one of these days, Jayasena. You call my office and make an appointment with my secretary. You can see me at home at Ward Place," he said. "I wish you luck." He added and left. I can't remember any security personnel being present. He had come alone.

I did not take his invitation to see him in his office at home very seriously. I thought it was just part of his courtesy but I happened to mention this episode to my good friend Senator Reggie Perera, a couple of weeks later. "So, have you seen him?" Was his first question. "No, I have not. I thought it was mentioned as an act of courtesy," I told Reggie.

"You must be out of your mind," he chided me. "A minister of State asks you to see him and you ignore it! Who do you think you are? Do you realise that you could be punished as a government servant for ignoring the request of a Minister," he thundered further. It was then that I realized the gravity of it.

Appointment

The very next morning I called his office at Ward Place and spoke to Mr. Jayewardene's Secretary. I found that the secretary and I had attended Advanced Level evening classes together at Zahira College . I got an appointment for eight in the morning the very next day. I was at "Bremier, Ward Place at least ten minutes before eight next morning.

I was shown a seat in the office room and sharp at eight Mr. J appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in a pair of baggy white trousers and a blue checked short-sleeved shirt. I got up as he came in and was waved into a chair in front of his work desk, very courteously. He did not ask me why I had taken so much time to meet him and I was relieved.

"So, Jayasena, you are at last ready for that little chat with me," he said smiling broadly - that famous, disarming J.R. smile. "I am sorry, if I have taken too much time, Sir, I had a few outstation shows and - "Oh no, that's perfectly alright. In fact I was also a little busy last couple of weeks," he said without letting me complete my sentence.

He asked me how I had got interested in the stage and the theatre, how one feels to be an actor, whether I write all my plays, what prompted me to write a play like Manaranjana etc. I answered his questions as best as I could and he looked satisfied with my answers.

"Jayasena, how much do you earn a month as a clerk," I told him I got around 350 rupees a month and that my wife also worked as a secretary in the private sector and that we managed fairly well. "How much would you be earning as an actor and playwright? Was his next question. "Not much, Sir. We do it mostly for the love of it," I told him the truth.

Thought of the week

I lost one of my most avid and devoted readers of these columns last Thursday - on the 26th - my very dear Akka. Readers, I am sure will remember her from these columns. I referred to her ever so often and related much of our life together, at Bendiyamulla, Gampaha, at Halkandawila, at Soma Stores etc. - wherever our homes were.

She was my devoted sister all her life and I was her devoted, loving Malli. She was the only girl in my family, just elder to me and she was loved and admired by all of us for her love, generosity, kindness and absolute uprightness. She was a good wife and a very exemplary mother to her four sons. She was a much loved mother-in-law by all four daughters-in-law.

She was 'mother' to many many more too. As a nurse, as Chief Public Health Nurse of the Kalutara District for a long time - her last post - and as tutor to many aspiring young nurses for at least four generations, she was 'mother' to all of them. My Akka was a very much loved and respected woman wherever she worked.

Many of her friends and pupils from all parts of the country turned up at her funeral. She had a brief illness and passed away peacefully. I visited her at the CCU, Colombo General Hospital , just the day before she passed away, where fellow nurses were trying their utmost to save her life.

She was very much conscious when her Malli visited her and was very happy to listen to the Pirith I chanted from her bed side. "Give me three small drinks of water before you go, Malli," she told me smiling, without tears.

I did so. "Now get back home, before the noon traffic starts snarling up", she told me, as mindful as ever of our well-being. I was going to chant Pirith for you the next morning too Akka, and was getting ready to come to the CCU, when the call came.

I will be chanting that Pirith for you every morning. Rest in Peace, my dearest Akka. When you walk the path to Nirvana, I will be there, hanging on to your little finger.

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