Playing out (un)making time
(Un)making Time is initiated by the Sunethra Bandaranaike Trust to
support new theatre-making projects. In April 2011, two artists from the
English Theatre, Tracy Holsinger and Jake Oorloff, the recipients of
this grant will present new work as a part of this project.
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Using props on stage |
Working with the idea of reconciliation, as suggested by the Trust,
both artists completely independently of each other found themselves
touching on similar strands of thought – the journey that is memory, the
complexity of history-making processes and the significance of hearing
individual stories as a narrative of the people.
Through these thoughts evolved the idea of ‘(un)making time’: to
‘unmake’ being in many ways to question assumptions of the past that
pervade our present and may colour our future.
The work presented by the two artists in performance reflect the
sense of history approached not as linear and single-voiced, but rather
acknowledged as discontinuous and interrupted, with so many different
voices, stories and perspectives. (Un)making Time thus presents two
performances ‘Rondo’ and ‘My Other History’ that focus on the crucial
act to revisit, rewrite, rethink, retell and reinterpret our histories,
memories and narratives.
Artistic styles
‘Rondo’, directed by Tracy Holsinger with Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke
and ‘My Other History’ directed by Jake Oorloff choose individual
journeys, both familiar and unfamiliar that spotlights the complex, and
sometimes difficult act of remembering. Interestingly, despite the fact
that the performances are rooted in similar ideas, both artists choose
two distinct artistic styles; ‘Rondo’ employs non-realist techniques,,
while ‘My Other History’ draws from realism in theatre.
Drawing inspiration from the works of Akira Kurasawa, Gabriel Garcia
Marquez, Sherwood Anderson and Loius de Bernieres, and using the device
of the Unreliable Narrator, ‘Rondo’ is a piece of devised theatre that
is allegorical and non-linear in structure. It posits the sense of
versions when confronting narrative.
‘Rondo’ is performed by Brandon Ingram, Venuri Perera, Ruvin de
Silva, Tehani Chitty, Subha Wijesiriwardena, Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke,
Benjamin Aluwihare and Kimaya de Silva.
‘My Other History,’ on the other hand, is set in the present time,
while referring to a past that plays out through the memory of a young
boy and his conversation with his mother who tries to connect her son to
his past – and to what is her history.
Single story
It hints at the history of a people denied of land, memory and life.
It walks you through the single story, touching on a family’s sense of
belonging in the context of their experience of displacement.
‘My Other History’ is performed by Thushara Hettihamu, Ruhanie Perera,
Freya D’Almeida and Amaz Irshad.
Rondo produced by Mind Adventures Theatre Company opens on April 7 at
the Punchi Theatre at 8.30pm and will continue till April 12. My Other
History produced by Floating Space opens on April 7 at the Park Street
Mews Warehouse at 7pm and will continue till April 10. Tickets for the
performances will be available at both venues from March 28. |
