Enjoying your own lines

Amalshan GUNERATHNE

Dhanushika Nayanakumari. Picture by S A Gunerathne

Not even in her wildest fantasies would she have thought that what started as a routine university assignment could later transform itself into an award winning theatrical masterpiece. As it stands today, her final year practical project for ‘Drama and Theatre Art’ degree has evolved into an award winning theatrical production that is being loved by many theatregoers. Theatregoers would know that Danushika Nayanakumari’s stage drama ‘Janelen Paninnanada’ has come far and has proven itself a modern, theatrical thrill ride that is richly deserving of its praise.

With a touch of modesty she says, “We weren’t thinking of awards at all when we made the drama. It was my final year practical project at University of Kelaniya that ultimately transpired in to the drama.”

She may still be a fresh face to many. But if her first major production is anything to go by, signs are there that she has the potential to do great things to local theatre scene.

Graduated from University of Kelaniya as recently as 2009, Danushika Nayanakumari and her drama-crew have come long way to win hearts of many theatregoers with her acclaimed drama ‘Janelen Paninnada’. In 2011 National Drama Festival, the drama was given six awards for the best production, direction, actress, set design, stage management and script (second place). Danushika the director of popular ‘Janelen Paninnada’ stage-drama joined with Artscope for this week’s encounter.

Q: The foundation for Janelen Paninada was laid during your university days, how did your time at University inspire you to make the drama?

I did a special degree in Drama and theatre-arts at University of Kelaniya and it was a great exposure to me as I was lucky enough to study under wonderful set of teachers. The exposure that I gained during my university life was instrumental in my success. Every year we were asked to engage in practical activities and we were assessed according to those practical tests. And ‘Janelen Paninnada’ was my final year practical project.

“It is important to enjoy your own creation. If you don’t enjoy your own creation, how do you expect the audience to enjoy it? Only if you enjoy your own work, that you will be able to transport the same level of aesthetic pleasure to the audience”

Q: ‘Janelen Paninnada’ was initially aimed for university students, what made you think that you should do a public performance?

Initially when we made the drama, it was aimed for university students. The initial drama revolved lot around university subculture, but we felt that we need to take it to the public audience. We didn’t want to restrict the drama to the university students and therefore we had to change certain things in the drama so that it would suit the public audience.

Q: How much did Thumindu Dodanthenna’s script contribute to the play’s success?

When I first got my hands on Thumindu Dodanthenna’s script, I knew it had great potential to turn it into something great and I was confident that I can make a good drama out of that script. It was great working with him.

Q: ‘Janelen Paninnada’ was received well by many theatregoers for the issues it discusses and also for its aesthetic value. How important was it to maintain the entertainment aspect alive as you discussed those issues?

The key is to create something that can make people think while appealing to their aesthetic senses. There is no point in creating cheap humour that can only be felt at surface level. Also there is no point in creating overly serious, complex dramas that doesn’t provide any aesthetic amusement to the audience. First, it is important to enjoy your own creation. If you don’t enjoy your own creation, how do you expect the audience to enjoy it? Only if you enjoy your own work, that you will be able to transport the same level of aesthetic pleasure to the audience.

Q: When you first started the project, did you ever think that the drama will come this far to achieve such success?

We weren’t thinking of awards at all when we made the drama. As said earlier, it was my final year practical project that ultimately transpired in to the eventual drama. And it was a team project. It was a learning experience for most of us and we work-shopped the drama to bring the best out of it. Everyone’s suggestions and ideas were taken in to account and everyone should be credited for the drama’s success. All of us were coming from university and the issues and things that we spoke of were common to all of us, so there weren’t such conflicts. It was a team effort.

Q: Have you thought what your next theatrical project going to be?

The next production will be challenging because all the achievements that we won for ‘Janelen Paninna’ have set the standards high. The audience will be expecting the same level of artistry from my next creation and it will be a challenge, but I see that as a positive. I am in no hurry to suddenly start working on a new project. It needs some research and I need to find a good script as well.

Q: How difficult was it to cater your drama to different segments of the audience, considering that your drama was initially aimed for university students.

It is important that you make your drama appealing to varied segments of the audience. While entertaining the common audience, the drama should also allow intellectual audience to go deeper in to it and unearth deeper connotations about the issues that it discuss. It shouldn’t be tedious for the common audience either. It is a delicate process and it is often easier said than done.

Q: How was the response to your drama outside of Colombo? How is local theatre progressing outside of Colombo?

We did take the show outside of Colombo several times and good audiences were always there to meet the play. But they were complaining that good dramas don’t travel to their cities often enough. It is definitely something that those who do theatre have to work on.

Theatre and drama are mainly restricted to Colombo. Here in Colombo, everyday there is some drama production that theatregoers could go to, but same cannot be said for outstation cities.