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Ibsen's 100th death anniversary: Woman's role in a male - oriented worldDRAMA: Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's play "A Doll's House" will go on stage in Sinhala as "Bonikki Gedara" at the Elphinstone Theatre, Colombo 10 on November 29 at 3.00 p.m. (school show) and 6.30 p.m. (public show)
The play is directed by Prabhath Warusamanna. Damayanthi Fonseka and Chaminda Jayasooriya will play the main characters of Nora and Torvald. The translation is made by Sunil Wijesiriwardana. Henrik Johan Ibsen (1828-1906) was a major playwright who was largely responsible for the rise of modern realistic drama. "A Doll's House" (Et dukkehjem) is perhaps his most famous play and requires reading in many local and international universities and schools. The play was highly controversial when first published, as it is sharply critical of Victorian marriage norms. It was first staged in Copenhagen in Denmark in 1879, and remains very relevant to the modern world. Reality drama"Though this is originally based on the 18 century society, I feel that we can learn a lot from this story. Ibsen had portrayed the character of Nora in such a manner so as to show that she too is human. She has her share of hopes and dreams. The patriarchal social structure had subordinated women of this era. By tracing the problems which arise between man and wife, Ibsen tells us that women should be given equal status as men," said the main actress of the stage drama, Damayanthi Fonseka.
This will be the 15th show organized in Colombo and is held to mark the 100th death anniversary of Henrik Ibsen. The production is funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo. The play has been staged in distant areas such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Hambantota, Nuwara Eliya, Bingiriya and Kandy. Being a reality drama, the characters in the play appear to be a part of those living around us. "Nora's character is a milestone in my career. She is a woman who signifies all the women in society. At least one part of her experience is shared by other women in society. Therefore, we are close to her," Damayanthi said. Dedication"Prassana Vithanage once advised me to use my personal experience to bond with my roles. I believe that I was able to practise that method with Nora's character", she said. Prior to Chaminda Jayasooriya, the role of Torvald had been played by Kamal Addaraarachchi. Damayanthi remembered his support with gratitude. She also said she wish to thank the Royal Norwegian Embassy and Prabath Warshamanna for their dedication towards the enrichment of the field of stage drama in Sri Lanka. The cast of "Bonikki Gedara" include Damayanthi Fonseka (Nora Helmer), Chaminda Jayasooriya (Torvald Helmer), Nilmini Buwaneka (Kristine Linde), Dharmapriya Dias (Nils Krogstad), and Anil K. Wijesinghe (Dr. Rank). Harshani Wickramasinghe, Dilip Kumara and Kumuduni Sewwandi play supporting roles. The music is directed by Pradeep Jayathilaka and the make-up is by Sumeda Hewawitharana. Wasantha Kumara is in charge of lighting. Sandya Jayasooriya and Damayanthi Fonseka have designed the costumes. "A woman cannot live by herself in contemporary society, it is an exclusively male oriented society with laws drafted by men, and with counsel and judges who judge feminine conduct from a male point of view." This is the value that Ibsen notes in "A Doll's House". |
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