State Children's Drama Contest:

Record entries this year

Disna MUDALIGE

A record number of drama scripts were received for this year's State Children's Drama Contest and Festival 2011. A total of 153 scripts have been received including 120 Sinhala scripts, 23 Tamil scripts and 10 English scripts. This year's festival will also mark the highest participation including the North and East areas.

This was revealed at a press briefing held at the Cultural Affairs Ministry Auditorium where Secretary Wimal Rubasinghe addressed the gathering.

The festival will be held in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages for the first time in Sri Lanka's history, Rubasinghe said.

Thirty nine selected children's dramas in two categories such as Limited and Open will be staged from September 10 to 20 at the John de Silva Memorial Theatre daily from 5 pm. Entrance is free for all.

Rubasinghe added that plans are afoot to construct new theatres by 2016 covering the whole island. A new theatre with modern facilities including 1,000 seats will be constructed in Walisinghe Harischandra Grounds in Anuradhapura. In addition, another new theatre with 1,000 seats will be opened on September 30 at the Mahawa Wijayaba Vidyalaya.

It is named the Saiman Navagaththegama Memorial Theatre.

Drama Sub Committee Chairman Sriyantha Mendis said that dramas in the three mediums are scheduled to be mixed and staged during this festival. He said that this schedule will help national integration as opportunity will be available for communities to mix.

Cultural Affairs Department Director Wijith Kanugala, Drama Sub Committee Secretary Palitha Silva and producers of the children's dramas selected for the final round also participated.