Inspiration behind an aesthetic
The Basil Mihiripenna memoirs:
A lecture delivered by Dr Basil Mihiripenna at the Annual General
Meeting of the Past Pupil’s Association of Piliyandala Central School.
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Basil Mihiripenna |
It is a pleasure to meet you today - my school mates of my times. I
am proud to say I am a product of my dear school Piliyandala Central. I
feel that I was reborn by the divinity vibrating in the school
atmosphere.
I bow down to pay my gratitude for honouring me today. I remember
when I first won a Silver Medal in the Asian dance competition in late
50s in Russia. And again in early 60s I won the gold medal in the
African-Asian dance competition held in Kremlin theatre. The solo dance
I performed was ‘The Dance of Shiva.’
I walked up to the stage to collect the gold medal in the mid of
applause and orchestral music.
The gold medal was offered by a veteran ballet master in the Bolshoi
Theatre. I was surprised to see a ballerina from Bolshoi theatre coming
to greet me. She offered me a wallet. Guess what was in the wallet? Some
roubles along with - let me tell you a secret - a rose letter. It was,
ladies and gentleman, a love letter from Mocrova Tanis, the ballerina.
I still remember what my mother told me on the day I was to take
wings for Russia.
“You are lucky, son. You will achieve that International award. You
are under the influence of the planet Venus. But I warn you my son, be
careful of women.”
To be frank with you, my experiences with women was a little bitter.
Following this historical tour I came back to see my teachers
Premakumara Epitawela and Hubert de Silva the Vice Principal of
Piliyandala Central who directed the play Ramayanaya. I touched his
feet. He was surprised when I said:
“Sir, you have guided me to enter in to my world - the performing
arts - the heaven of aesthetic.”
Many countries invited me to participate in dance competitions,
conferences and lecture demonstrations. My visit to the United States
was more adventurous.
Our favourite activity was to climb up the Mara trees. We used to
imitate monkeys and used to produce ugly noises through our throats.
One of our colleagues came and announced the message from the office
‘Hey Basil, Mr. Hubert de Silva wants you at the office.’ I was nervous
and felt like jumping from the tree. I was looking for a severe
punishment from the vice principal. But why? I did not know. I stood in
front of the office table. The vice principal looked sharp at me.
“Why didn’t you come for the meeting yesterday?”
“I didn’t know Sir, no one informed me.”
The Sinhala union is going to produce a play. It was John de Silva’s
Ramayana.
“Oh man how dirty is your dress. You climbed the trees early in the
morning, didn’t you?”
I thought he would punish. But he continued.
“So I am direct the play. We have a rehearsal today.”
I was shivering, and my face turned reddish. I stammered:
“...SSir, its true thatt I climbed tttrees and immitated monkeys, but
ppllease SSSSSSir I do not like to act as a monkey in Hanumantha’s
tribal group.”
He started laughing and I joined him.
Later that day I was not much happy, because the team was the
intellectual group. Director addressed the gathering.
“I have finalised the selection of the performers of the play. Ravana
is so and so, Hanumantha will be Jayasekera, the hermit Agasthi will be
B K Somapala.
I have selected the nightingale of the school Sitha Chandraratne to
do the role of Sitha Parameshwari and I am offering to do the role of
Sri Rama to the most handsome young man, the singer and the dancer Basil
Perera.” |
