Lest Prometheuses perish...
Malani Govinnage
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Rehearsing. Pictures by Sujani Kumuduni
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Master Premasiri Khemadasa’s Agni Opera went on the boards at Lionel
Wendt theatre on Friday, 25th. The Socialist students’ Art Society had
organised the two shows to celebrate the Master’s 71st birthday.
Before the show started, the two daughters of master Khemadasa
performed a few minutes on Cello and Organ. A fitting tribute to an
artiste who has given perhaps more than he could afford to the Sri
Lankan Opera Lovers!
Agni is woven around the simple theme of introduction of fire to the
human world. As we know from history, discovery of fire was a turning
point of the human civilisation. It enabled man to discover a whole new
world; instead of eating meat and yams raw he could eat them cooked.
In place of stones and flints, he could fashion iron weapons, to
hunt, fight and dig earth. Gradually, a whole transformation took place
making a new man and a new society!
It was the wonder of fire. In Greek mythology, man receiving fire is
an intriguing story. According to this story, use of fire was god’s
privilege. While gods in heaven enjoyed the luxury of fire, in those
primeval ages man lived in cold and the dark.
Prometheus, a Titan - a race powerful than Olympian gods according to
Greek mythology, but a few in number is moved by the sufferings of man.
He steals fire from heaven and brings it to the earth, for which he is
punished by the leader of Olympian Pantheon god Zeus.
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Poised to pay tribute to a great father. |
Master Kemadasa takes this core theme, twists it a little and creates
Agni. In Agni, Prometheus has a sister, (played by Indika Upamali)
through whom Prometheus sends fire to the earth. And, this little twist
adds much strength to the theme and colour of the creation.
In early civilisation (even today for that matter) it is the woman
who helped lay the foundation of society. Man was away hunting and
gathering food. The woman, using fire cooked, probably helped man to
make implements and tools, bore and reared children.
In Agni, Soma (played by Kamal Addaraarachchi) receives the fire from
the Fire Goddess. The world of humans changes, never to go back to those
dark Primitive days. Soma symbolises the ever hopeful man seeking growth
and civilisation. Soma braves to go alone to bring fire from the goddess
of fire.
He would not listen even to his wife who is a mirror image of a
society which is reluctant to receive new knowledge. Humans start
farming; they hold their harvest festival, Hunter Soma and Fire Goddess
join with humans in festivities.
In the mean time, Kala (played by Sumudu Pathiraja) the young man who
is exuberant, vigilant finds out that Prometheus is all alone in the
woods punished by Maha Devi who was angered for the theft of fire-gods’
sole ownership and privilege.
Kala brings the news to the humans. Now, the question arises who is
going to save Prometheus, who has helped humans to step out from
darkness.
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Training their voices. |
The news has obviously moved the humans - farmers who till the land
and smiths who make tools and weapons. They raise their hands as if in
supplication and point towards the woods where Prometheus has been kept
in captivity. But the audience do not see anyone taking the initiative
to go forward and save him!
Thus, Agni poses us the question. Is just being moved by the incident
sufficient? Are we not there to rescue ‘Prometheuses’ who are in danger
of ‘privileged gods’? Are we going to let those many fires lighted by
Prometheuses extinguish?
Are we going to let the lofty ideals brought amongst us by great
personalities in history, religious leaders, great thinkers, artistes
inventors perish and pushed into oblivion, plunging the world again into
darkness?
Society needs young energetic and forever watchful young and old men
and women to rescue many prometheuses and also to keep the fires that
they have brought to the world glowing for the next generations!
Agni conveys this message - a simple but profound and valid at that
for all times. |
