Mahasamayama grand opera to be staged at Nelum Pokuna

Disna Mudalige

The Mahasamayama grand opera which had its debut on January 30 with the participation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, will be staged once again on May 19 and 20 at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa theatre. A public show will be held at 6.30 pm on May 19, and a school show will be held at 10.30 am on May 20.

Government Information Department Director General Prof. Ariyarathna Athugala addressing a press conference at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on the staging of Mahasamayama Grand Opera directed and produced by him said that the need to pay more attention to art forms is felt in contemporary society more than ever before. He observed that the human-kind is being overpowered by technology.

"The quality of human culture is questionable in any country where only physical resources are nourished neglecting the arts and culture", he said.

He observed that the Mahasamayama opera was created with thorough investigation and experimentation in numerous aspects. He said that it was a collective effort by a group of senior artists in Sri Lanka and that the opera caters to the common goals to achieve the well-being of the society. He stated that Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra took the Sri Lankan theatre drama to a crucial landmark, but his successors were unable to take forward his creative ideas. "Today the theatre drama is popular. Many young people have entered this field. In this backdrop my endeavour is to explore new perspectives in this field in modern society. The need for a higher aesthetic taste is felt more than ever in the country" he remarked.

Senior Artist Jackson Anthony observed that Mahasamayama is not another trend, but an attempt to give rise to a new arts culture.

He said that this creative production should be properly studied and reviewed and that wide public discussion should be facilitated about it, adding that it should be brought closer to the people. He also observed that the Nelum Pokuna theatre is a resource to the country in which an opera can be staged, maintaining international standards. Prof. Athugala said that selected schools have been given free entrance to the school-show. He also said that the opera is staged thinking of it as a social responsibility and enduring heavy financial burdens.

Senior Artists Buddadasa Galappatti, Samantha Perera, Sadun Wijesiri, Madani Malwatte, Kumara Thirimadura and Janaka Ranasinghe also spoke.