Arts

Cold blood.Colder hearts

By Kumudu Amarasingham 

Here I am, reviewing yet another `work of war.' That is the only way to see the pieces of literature inspired by the ghastly bloodshed and turmoil that has haunted and devastated so many in an isle that nature has so generously marked with her awesome brushes and paints.

This time it is a series of freezingly real extracts from the diary of an obviously unbiased, sensitive, humane journalist.

Maureen Seneviratne is no stranger to the literary scene. Her stories and essays have been published in Sri Lanka, UK, Canada, Singapore, Germany and Australia. The work focuses strongly on issues of social injustice, human rights and women's and children's rights. She has won many awards for her work and is a recipient of Hellmen-Hemmet Grant 1995, the prestigious award for Human Rights Watch Free Expression Project, for her work and writings on humanitarian and human issues.

Journal Of The End Time - the work in question - is a compilation of extracts from the writer's diary. Maureen was able to receive a clear and firsthand account of the different stages of this bloody saga: her son being in the army and able to get her passes to places other journalists were barred from.

So the colossal, heartless, brutal tragedy is brought to life once again. A combination of factual and personal experience that leaves the reader in shreds. Particularly the Sri Lankan reader.

The phone rings. It is K - my other son. The mushroom cloud of doom has dissipated itself over a wider and wider area and it is raining black rain in his neighborhood, a suburb of Colombo rather close to the Kolonnawa blaze. What a tragedy of unspeakable proportions? What a monumental farce - not the smoke and black rain but our leaders, pathetic in their nakedness and their bankruptcy... with their unmitigated folly, bringing a whole people to our knees.

And there is the other side. Equally forcefully portrayed.

Stories filter in of their pitiful plight, of the small bags clutched in their hands, the desperate looks on their faces - those people of the north - as they flee from battling men, from bombs and shells. Is their any cause, any objective, any goal or target worth even one human tear shed, one sigh breathed from despairing people, flying for their lives - only to lose them when caught in the crossfire?

But then - and this was a first time for me - Maureen's own earlier account of 83' makes one wonder if indeed there is?

Be that as it may, here is a work that takes a deeply private, yet colossally valid look at events. A work that proves, yet again, beyond all doubt, that there are only losers in any war.

A family affaire...

By Dhananjani Silva

Having started his career as a journalist, his desire was to be a scriptwriter.

Nevertheless, he is no longer a journalist or a scriptwriter. Today, he has no doubt achieved success when he directed his maiden teledrama Kedella Na Unusum - a story that revolves around society's most noble unit - family.

Titus Ranasinghe is the versatile director who depicts how self-seeking strangers who merely try to gain their own ends split family union. The drama is tragic - hence interesting. At the very beginning we meet the loving couple Dulika and Sahan who lead a peaceful family life. However, troubles start when Dulika became suspicious of her husband who makes it a habit to give his secretary a lift everyday from office. This leads to a misunderstanding between the husband and wife and Dulika leaves Sahan. At this point we are introduced to the character of Naveen whom Sahan thought was his savior - ironically the real evil.

Things would have been better if Naveen did not interfere in the problems between Sahan and Dulika. But what is worse is Sahan started an affair with Dulika.

Nevertheless amidst all these disputes, interferences and affaires come gradual self-realisation for Dulika and therefore she is compelled to go before her husband to make an apology. Up to now it was a series of incidents. But more incidents are on the way ...

Meanwhile, Titus Ranasinghe said: "It took one and half months for me to direct this drama. But what is significant is the fact that I got the opportunity to telecast this teledarma within two months, which I believe is a rare opportunity."

"People watch teledramas for relaxation. Therefore I based my drama on family life as I thought horror and murder are not what is appropriate for relaxation," said Titus. "I believe in giving priority to the character of the woman who plays a dominant role in society, first as a daughter then as a wife and finally as a mother. This drama highlights an instance where a female character becomes a victim when she fails to perform her duties as a wife. So the viewers begin to feel a sense of belonging - they begin to wonder what if their daughters, sisters or wives are made to go through this plight. That is the reason for me to base this drama on the theme of family life," he stressed.

Titus at the same time pays his sincere gratitude to Assistant Director, Joseph Jerome Perera, Cameraman Gamini Chaminda and H. D. Premarathne for the immense help and assistance given by them when directing this drama adding that Tyronne Peries "made who I am today." He also recalls his rendezvous with S. Kanapathipillai of Orient Films whom he says is "the best producer" he has ever met at the time Titus was working as a production manager.

Titus's maiden film Kadella Na Unusum, he says, has inspired him a lot to an extent where he thinks he can do better in the future.

Starring Indrajith Navinne, Nisansala Jayathunga, Pradeep Senanayake, Buddhika Jayarathne, Nimal Sumanasekera and Sriyani Mahawatte, Kadella Na Unusum will be screened in October.

In stitches over Potta Harry!

Indu Dharmasena's Potta Harry, inspired by the world famous Harry Potter, went on boards at the Lionel Wendt last week, being featured for the second time, with several new members in the cast.

While the idea of sitting through Potta Harry for the second time around did not seem that great, faith in Indu's unique sense of humour prevailed and the previews stating that this time around things would be different, added to the fact that Krys Sosa would be singing, were reasons for being there anyway.

Going with the previous showing, this was not one of Indu's better plays - on hindsight, while this one was not as great as Indu's other plays, it seems that a variety of technical and personal problems made the first showing look bad.

However, freezing at the Wendt all over again for the same play was worth it. Thankfully, Indu was right about this showing of Potta Harry being different, with the missing 'mace' (Arty Culture's sock) being a great touch, and Indu's brand of comedy keeping the audience in stitches - especially Koluu, who could not stop bursting out in laughter!

With Indu's style of updating the play continually to reflect events in the country, even the queuing up for petrol did not escape.

The 'amateurs' and the rest of the cast acted the roles assigned to them and made this time's Potta Harry a whole lot more entertaining than the last. Also, the lights and effects worked and the play went on without a hitch or long pauses where people played for time, having forgotten their lines.

Orange Peel (Katrina Gunasekara), Blue Sky (Gehan Cooray, who is always entertaining, with his role of step brother in Cinderfella being a favourite by far), Princess Purple (Nelum Goonetilleke), Brown Sugar (Dayan Dias Abeyegunawardene, who looks great in his Tarzan outfit which he wore for one of Indu's previous plays) and the narrator (the excellent George Cook) did a great job.

Arty Culture (Thulitha Piyasena) was a scream and his hysterics had the audience laughing all the way. The Princess Security Division (PSD) and the Joint Vindictive Panthers (JVP) were entertaining as well.

Krys's singing was great but the choice of song, unfortunately, was totally wrong for the mood of the play and did not flow with the events that took place on stage.

The best part of it all was Rohan's Turn Me On dance, which had the audience cheering him on non-stop, as usual.

Wondering what happened to the Sorcerer's Balls, they remain where they were, maybe we'll know the rest of it next time. As for now, let's be satisfied with Indu's offering of Arpico rubber balls.

Some enchanted evening

By Risidra Mendis 

Her method is to teach children to appreciate and enjoy different types of music in life. To Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu, teaching music has become an enjoyment rather than a strenuous subject.

"It doesn't matter why you want to learn music. But if you are a person interested in learning the subject you should pursue it. For music is a subject that will always be a part of your life," says Sahabandu.

Sahabandu's first music teacher was Irene Hunter. In 1984 Sahabandu attended the Pestonjee Studio to learn music under well known music teacher Mary Billimoria and later under Christine Perera.

She received her licentiate from the Royal School of Music UK and Fellow of the Trinity College London in piano and singing and is a member of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka.

At present Sahabandu has 80 students learning music at her home. With 20 years of experience behind her, Sahabandu is now in the process of organising a musical concert 'Some Enchanted Evening.'

According to Sahabandu, at 'Some Enchanted Evening' the audience will be treated to a wide variety of classical, semi classical, broadway and popular music. A well loved selection of songs from broadway such as Oliver, My Fair Lady, South Pacific, a selection of Disney songs and an arrangement of Blue Bayou and Unchained Melody will also be included.

Choreography and lighting will be handled by Indu Dharmasena, while the music accompaniment is provided by an ensemble with Thushani Jayawardana and Ajith Kodikara playing the violin, Sureka Amerasinghe and Dilrukshi Wiratunge on flute, Prajapa de Silva on Cello, Maxie Pietersz on double bass, Shem Darius on drums and Sahabandu and Dilan Angunawela on piano.

According to Sahabandu, a guest performance by the Philharmonic Players, a popular string orchestra is scheduled to take place at 'Some Enchanted Evening.'  This concert is for a very wide audience and the proceeds will go to the Roshan Wijesooriya Memorial Fund to be used towards building an extension to the Paediatric Ward of the Cancer Hospital in Maharagama," said Sahabandu.

Tickets for 'Some Enchanted Evening' are available at the Lionel Wendt, while the concert will be held on September 4 and 5 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre at 7 p.m.

Into The Wilderness

The Drama Society of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia will be staging Into The Wilderness - a play depicting the darker side of life at the Lionel Wendt on September 17-19.

"Innovative with a purpose" seems to be the idea behind the Dram Society productions especially during the last two performances of Christmas Perpetua and Piano And Drums. So it is with the currant production of Into The Wilderness. The production takes the from of three angles to life. Three issues which are prevalent in society today and the production is divided in to three sections which are connected with Louise Mac Niece's poem Prayer Before Birth. The total running time of the performance is 90 minutes.

The first section of the play deals with a compelling issue of autism and violation of a girl's innocence, a sister-brother relationship and an outsider together with a journalist friend who try to resolve the issue 'of loneliness and homelessness which happens right at our doorstep. Chaminda Samaraweera plays the role of the autistic brother who although 50 years acts extremely childish and shows compassion towards the girl whom he meets at his place? Has he any other motive? Do people misjudge him? The answer is in the Wilderness.

The middle section is yet another issue, which we see right in front of our eyes today. The unit of the family is being broken due to outside interference. Johnny Christie, Janith Rodrigo and Chaminda Samaraweera battle out a conflict, which results in a conflict which even life itself, might not offer. The moral of leaving ones family for another alternative is it moral? Yet again the answer is in the Wilderness.

The final stage in the play is about six men awaiting the death sentence. Yet one of them has the power to save them the gallows. Yet save them at what cost? And do they have to change their morals to be saved? The final stage of the play sees you through the Wilderness.

It is a whole new experience for all of you who witness this novel production. It is not just seeing the play but seeing something in it which makes you think as well and relating it to your own self.

The production is designed and directed by Vinodh Senadeera. Box plan and tickets are available at the theatre and college office.