Weeramuni: walking on eggshells
Ishara Jayawardane
Theatre personality Namel Weeramuni has a special present this
Christmas for Colombo theatregoers. He will be directing two plays
written by playwright Somapala Gunadheera. The two plays are
Heiyanmaruwa and Pandithapilli. Even though both plays are comedies,
Weeramuni is doing them in a serious manner with the low country drums.
Both plays, written in 1971, are experiments according to Weeramuni.
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Scenes from
the play |
"The important thing is that I'm experimenting with a new crowd of
youngsters. My objective is to bring them on stage, train them and see
if they can understand the characters and portray them. I don't have so
many people with big names because actually today it is the big names
that are being sold," said Weeramuni.
Weeramuni stated that his objective is to have a good production
where people appreciate the entertainment. Throughout his life Weeramuni
has always worked with newcomers and youngsters.
The two plays he is doing portray the weaknesses of people and they
are very well written as comedies. The language is very simple and does
not go beyond the main theme. Everything is connected.
"In my opinion, the problem in Sri Lanka is that we don't do many
originals. Most things we do are translations or adaptations. When we do
translations I have found that most of them have not been understood and
have not effectively communicated the message the play is trying to
bring out. In Sri Lanka we have so many talented dramatists and
playwrights, so we must encourage them," stated Weeramuni.
Weeramuni also expressed his disappointment that we have very good
plays in the form of Ediriweera Sarachchandra, but are not allowed to
reinterpret these plays. "We must have the opportunity to produce these
plays in a different manner with different interpretations," he said.
Weeramuni also reminisced the time he did Sinhabahu in America with
an American cast. Unfortunately he has not been given permission to do
this play. The cast was composed of final year students in the Drama
Faculty and had a week's performance.
"If we can show these plays to the western world and the tourists who
come here, then we will be telling them; this is our culture. While it
is important for our audiences to get educated about the West, if we
bring Western plays to Sri Lanka we will have to pay a huge sum. Our
money will be going out of the country. When we have the resources in
our country why not use them?" explained Weeramuni.
Weeramuni added that theatre is a beggar's art and there is no money
in it. "We beg institutes for money. Doing a production is costly. You
need hundreds of thousands to do a play. For this production I have
already spent two and a half lakhs including giving these children their
meals. Even though I can afford to do it not everyone can. As a
playwright in the 1960's I pawned my wife's jewellery and even sold her
sewing machine," he said.
He emphasized theatre and plays must be introduced to Sri Lankan
audiences at Nelum Pokuna and not just musical shows.
The plays will be at the Namel Malani Punchi Theatre on December 29
and 30.
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