Rebelling against hypocrisy
Amalshan GUNERATHNE
His artistic journey is a rebellious one. He was once even imprisoned
due to the controversies issue that he tried to raise through his
dramas. Yet, not even imprisonment during times of terror could hamper
his enthusiasm towards art and theater.
Though disturbing they may be, his dramas have the capacity to evoke
your mind’s eye to the bitter realities of contemporary times. Vijitha
Gunerathne, the highly talented dramatist, who flew from the country
after his 1989’s controversial drama, Sakki is back in the island again
to treat you with a yet another theatrical master-piece that could
provoke your senses.
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Scenes from
the play |
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Vijitha
Gunerathne |
The new drama Drushti is set to premiere at Tower Hall on August 25.
The drama will portray the way in which the contemporary, hypocritical
social system has turned man in to a hapless, spineless dummy devoid of
any human sensitivity. Expressing his thoughts on the new drama, Vijitha
said:
“The contemporary society is a very materialistic, money-minded and
hypocritical one. There is no escaping from that fact. Unless the person
adapts himself to the system, he cannot exist. Therefore, no matter how
genuine a person try to be, if the person fail to adapts himself to the
system, he will find it hard compete to with the current tide. Or else
if a person tries to go against the system, he will become a victim or
will be perceived as a deviant.”
Drushti is based on Dario Fo’s drama, ‘The Pope and the Witch’.
Though not a direct adaptation of Dario’s drama, Drushti takes the same
dramatic concepts employed by him to analyse the contemporary
power-politics.
The drama revolves around the storyline of a city mayor who
understands this reality and yet finds himself in a grave dilemma when
he fails to raise a voice against it. “At one point he himself has to
admit that he has no other option, but to adapt to the system.
This is the tragedy of the dilemma. The politics, business, art,
media or whatever the field may it be, the system demands that the
person conform to its ways, if not, the system will condemn you,”
Vijitha expressed his philosophy behind the latest stage-play.
Vijitha started his journey as a dramatist in late nineteen
seventies. His first drama Inimaga saha Buruwo (Ladder and the scaffold)
was written and rehearsed when he was serving a prison sentence. “I was
arrested during my schooldays; the then government accused me that I
gave profits from my dramas to JVP’s socialist movements. But I couldn’t
stay idling in the prison, so I decided to make the drama.
 The script and rehearsals were all done when I was in prison. Then we
showed the drama in Carey College and later in other theaters.”
Moving on from there, he went on to make many social satires which
created great buzz among theater lovers. 1981’s drama Dathi Kiyatha,
Subasadhaka, the Sinhala adaptation of Three Penny Opera or Pensa Thuney
Kathava, Sinhala translation of Ibsen’s Doll’s House were all made
during 1980s.
Then in 1989 he made Sakki which aroused ripples of controversy among
many. Sakki was based on Dario Fo’s drama, ‘Accidental Death of an
Anarchist’. Sakki did an in-depth analysis about the hypocritical
power-politics which plagued the country during late nineteen eighties.
The daring controversies which were raised through the drama meant that
Vijitha was forced to flee from the country, after receiving life
threatening intimidations.
After the fiasco, Vijitha moved to Sweden with thoughts of following
his passion for art and drama in mind. He has been studying and teaching
drama in Sweden for the last two decades. In 2004, he came up with
another gem of a creation with the cinematic production ‘Vala Patala’.
The new drama is the latest to addition to his acclaimed artistic
collection.
However, spending twenty three years in Sweden means that Vijitha has
grown in stature as an artist.
The experience he has gained from Sweden has helped him to gather
much needed acumen and professional expertise that is needed to pursue
his artistic ventures.
Vijitha Gunerathne’s latest drama Drushti will be shown at the Tower
Hall on August 25 and 26 at 7 pm. |
