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A Critique on the State Sinhala Drama Festival of 1966:

Manaranjana Wadawarjana introduce novel techniques to Sinhala theatre



Anula Karunatilaka and Sadun Wijesiri.

'An actor is one who
is made and not one
who is born' should be
the motto of
Sinhala theatre

Subject matter of realistic conversational original Plays in 1960's

by Prof. Ariya Rajakaruna

Translated by Ranga Chandrarathne

(This is a translation of a critique by Prof. Ariya Rajakaruna. He served as the Head of the Department of Sinhala of the University of Peradeniya. He is currently a visiting lecturer of the Department of Fine Arts and Sinhala. This is the only comprehensive review written on any State Sinhala Drama Festival held during the past five decades.

This review was first published in 1967. This critique has been translated for the first time)

(Continues from the last week)



Lucian Bulathsinhala

Some dramas in the festival had a mixture of songs, music, dance, acting and conversation with a blend of Eastern and Western characteristics of theatre. This type of drama with mixed characteristics are seen evolving in Sinhala theatre, preserving their diversity as a distinct tradition.

'Manaranjana Wadawarjana', 'Bihivanu Bosatanane ', and 'Erabadu mal pottu pipila" dramas can be considered as similar class of dramas with similar characteristics. Henry Jayasena's 'Manaranjana Wadawarjana' is a drama written with a different approach. This has contributed to broaden the spectrum of subject matter in Sinhala theatre. It is based on a strike.

The drama contains a series of events that highlights tragic as well as hilarious aspects of a Strike. Jayasena's weakness in other creations can also be seen in this production.

The weakness in text-writing. Jayasena failed to woven the drama in a logical manner, incorporating events such as workers' commencing the strike, foremen joining it, delivering speeches, a clerk not participating in the strike, parade chanting slogans, some workers being dosed with liquor, strike affecting the family life, some becoming disenchanted with, being impatient out of despair, women lending money, earning by foul means, the person who did not participate in the strike, his death by shooting and all attending the funeral.

The construction of the drama was very weak as inappropriate incidents have not been discarded and not sequencing the different incidents incorporating only the suited.

The drama in general failed to convey the vision that is articulated at different points and through the last song.

Though the drama is weak in structure, it has important characteristics. This is not a familiar drama for the Sri Lankan theatre. In the drama there is no conflict between two or more characters.

This drama is based on a collective experience. And the suited acting for this collective experience was estranged to Sinhala theatre.

The biggest contribution that drama made to Sinhala theatre is the introduction of a lot of techniques to Sinhala theatre. Dramatist was able to utilize the entire stage. He used the fleet of steps in the middle of the stage to intensify the zest. Actors and actresses sitting on it, lying on it and emerging from it is a pleasing scene to the audience.

Middle of the stage was a transparent wide screen enabling audience to see the action going on behind the stage. When the negotiations are conducing with the ruling party, some actors hold placards carrying slogans before the screen. An actor before the wide transparent screen is delivering a speech.

From time to time his voice sinks and then he suggests that he speaks in gesticulations. Another actor beyond the wide screen commence the speech from the point the former stops the speech.

The dramatist creates a theatrical zest using incidents such as the above in accordance with drama techniques. On one corner of the stage are Gunawardena couple (Sathischandra Edirisinghe and Grace de Silva) on the other are Perera couple (Karunapala Gamage and Gunawathi Ramawickrama). Conversations among them are dramatic.

When Yasawathi (Padmakumari Gunasekara) whispers to Gunawathi (Manel Jayasena), instead of gesticulation music is used. Considering the subject matter of the drama, use of this type of techniques is appropriate. Jayasena is able to introduce number of novel techniques to Sinhala theatre through the drama 'Manaranjana Wadawarjana' Jayasena's portrayal of a drunkard's character is a good acting according to stylist acting.

Audience should draw the attention on to Bandula Jayawardena's "Bihivanu, Bosathanani" on several counts. This is based on Insect Play (1922) by a Czech Dramatist Karel Carpeck and his brother Jasel (1890-1938). Therefore, this drama should also include in the category of adaptations.

However, the absence of common defects in other adaptation is a marked characteristic in this production. One who read the Insect Play could not identify "Bihivanu, Bosathanani" as a drama based on it. Indigenous outlook of the drama was visible enough to mislead the audience. This is a characteristic of a good adaptation. In the production an indigenous method has been used.

In accordance with the subject matter this method is thought to be appropriate. In terms of rendering an indigenous outlook to Western adaptation, Jayewardene is more talented that all other dramatists who adapt Western dramas.

Another important aspect of "Bihivanu, Bosathanani is that the dramatist in the drama (Lakshman Fernando) goes in search of a prostitute in order to create a piece of art. Here dramatist ridicules the weakness among contemporary literati in only considering issues of sex for their creations.

It has been confirmed that the subject matter of Sinhala drama should be diverse and wide through 'Bihivanu, Bosathanani'.

It is important to compare 'Bihivanu, Bosathanani' with the Insect Play. The Insect Play is a comedy consisting three episodes and two sections known as Commencement and the End.

The Section Commencement contains a conversation between aimless loiters and a swollen-headed person. In 'Bihivanu, Bosathanani' the aimless loiter becomes a beggar while the swollen-headed man becomes a dramatist.

..................................

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