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| Sunday, 19 May 2002 |
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New drama telecast today The popular actor Lucky Dias' latest production Miringuwen Eha which was directed by Malini Fonseka will commence its weekly telecast from today (May 19) on ITN. The 21 episodes which took a period of five months to film were all location - shot in Kirindiwela.
Speaking with Sunday Observer Lucky Dias was of the opinion that in the making of this TV series he strove to give the viewer something different and was grateful for all the comments he has received about his earlier two productions Sahas Gaw Dura and Kemmura which won two Sumathi awards for him. Sahas Gaw Dura won the most popular teledrama 2000 and also won him the Most Popular Actor award. Kemmura was judged the Best teledrama of the Year 2001 and the series carried off eight other awards. Both these dramas as well as in his latest one Miringuwen Eha were jointly produced with Felicia Deen. "Sanasili Suwanda" the current favourite teledrama produced by Lucky Dias and directed by Malini Fonseka is nearing its run which makes way for the timely entrance of Miringuwen Eha. Does he miss making films? "Actually I find that at this point in time, making TV films is by far much better. Because after 1980 good quality films became scarce and there was hardly any opportunity for actors to play good character roles. Even producers began to turn to TV, which reached out to a wider audience far more than film goers." Generally TV producers indulge in slow moving story lines which increases the episodes may be for financial remuneration but Lucky Dias tells us that he has always kept his stories on a fast moving track making the production short and effective. For the past eight years Sunanda Silva has been his script writer and has extreme confidence in his capabilities. A star studded cast headed by Lucky Dias and Geetha Kanthi Jayakody and an unusual love story triangle is bound to keep the viewers, with ITN weekly. Does he feel typecast? "No, I make it a point to change my roles and in this recent drama my role is quite an innocent one." One time a high profile ad man, Lucky Dias finds the film world rewarding and the greatest gift is the reaction of people wherever and whenever I meet them", says Lucky Dias. "Actually I'm hoping to do another film next year. A second write is on now and when that is completed filming will start soon" reveals Lucky Dias.
"So the multitude goes like the flower or the weed That withers away to let others succeed So the multitude comes, even those we behold To repeat every tale that has often been told..." The music fades out and the lights beam on stage for the one-man play Abraham Lincoln by Stephen Holgate presented by the American Center on Friday June 7 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. This is a challenge for Stephen Holgate who has studied drama and has been doing theatre for the past 36 years in Boston, Morocco, Mexico, Madagascar and the States. The play is a flash back on the early life of Abraham Lincoln, his legal career and follows up to his election as President. "People tell me I look like Abraham Lincoln. I began researching about him, wrote the play four years ago and presented it in Mexico while working at the Consulate Monterey, Mexico. last year I presented it at the British Council and was encouraged by the audience reaction. It went well and I could see that they were listening to me. Many people requested me to repeat my performance, so this time I chose the Lionel Wendt" says Stephen Holgate who has presented his play in the Maldives as well as at Bahrain. For a one-man play to reach out with success to the audience, the technique in acting calls for total concentration, the ability to see in your mind's eye the different characters in the play and to be sensitive to the emotions expressed in the play.Stephen Holgate enjoys doing a one-man play which allows the writer to express creatively some passions about an idea. The play Abraham Lincoln will be in two acts - the first act will be in a duration of one hour and fifteen minutes, while the second will last for thirty minutes. The play will be of interest to Sri Lankan theatre goers to get an insight into the man who was born into abject poverty, had no education, was underestimated by people but rose to create history in the States. Tickets for the play are available at the American Center and The Lionel Wendt. Video competition A video competition on the theme "Water - The fountain of life - The legacy of the future generations" will be launched under the sponsorship of the Mahaweli Centre. The concept formulated by the Minister of Irrigation and Water Management Gamini Jayawickrema Perera is organized to generate interest on issues like the quality of water, conserving the use of water in agricultural and industrial activities and the adaptation of the traditional hydro cultural practices in terms of modern methods. The duration of the filmlet should be between ten to fifteen minutes and recorded on the VHS format. Entries close on June 25, 2002. Further details of this video competition could be got from the Director, Mahaweli Centre. Writing their way to Manchester Stages Theatre Group has begun writing an original play to perform at "Cultureshock", the cultural festival of the Commonwealth Games to be held in Manchester in July 2002. This play is being written by five young writers drawn from the English and Sinhala stage, and will be directed by Ruwanthie de Chickera. Ruwanthie added a new dimension to Sri Lankan English theatre with her first play Middle of silence which won the British Council International New Playwriting Award for South Asia in 1997 and the Gratiaen Award in 2002. She has attended the International summer residency for playwrights and directors at The Royal Court Theatre in London, "The second conference for Asian, Women and theatre" in Philippines and "World interplay, Festival of young playwrights" in Townsville. She is currently studying for her MA in Applied Theatre at the University of Manchester. Ruwanthie has directed many acclaimed productions such as Checkpoint three strangely normal plays, Two times two is two and The Absentee. Ranging from 19 to 25 years of age, the group of writers is an interesting blend of experience and fresh talent, enriching the group with their varied theatrical techniques and backgrounds. A member of stages, Thushara Ilettihamu has written and directed plays such as The abused, Seagulls, Lights out and The slap and recently acted in Ubu Res and The last elephant and the Sinhala translation of Harold Pinter's One for the Road. Nadie Kammallaweera and Namal Jayasinghe have acted in plays such as Himakumariya, Vikurthi and Mavakage Sangramaya (Bertold Brecht's 'Mother Courage and her Children). Namal has written numerous original plays including Kamarayai numbai mamai which was a finalist at the State drama competition 1998. Amal de Chickera has acted in plays such as Ubu Rex and Checkpoint. Sandamali Wijeratne has acted in and wrote scenes for The absentee. The play will go on the boards at the British Council from June 30 - July 7. Butterfly Lovers A host of 50 artistes will be flown down from Kuala Lumpur to participate in the drama 'The Butterfly Lovers' staged by the Temple of Fine Arts. This famous Chinese legend of love that transcended death will go on the boards at the BMICH from May 28 to 30. The presentation is a contemporary blend of dance and music styles portraying the love, pain, separation and death of the Butterfly Lovers, immortalised in Chinese operas, paintings and in films. Through this presentation the Temple of Fine Arts seeks to re-discover the thread of universality in different artistic and cultural traditions. |
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'Abraham Lincoln' at the Wendt
