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| Sunday, 4 May 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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A magical performance : Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', directed by Neidra
Williams and Jehan Bastians was held at the Lionel Wendt This performance might have been seen as an extension of The Schools' Shakespeare Contest that is one of the sacrosanct events of the annual calendar of extra-curricular events. It doesn't really matter even if anyone saw it like that; the fact is that this Midsummer Night's Dream was truly a dream that should have got onto a cultural website to be seen by anyone in any part of the world. It was as good as anything that could come out of Covent Garden or Regent's Park. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' has held this writer in thrall ever since first encountered in the classroom via a class teacher who bit her words like they were barbecued dallo but still managed to get the magic of the play across to a class of schoolgirls who were rarin' to get their teeth into anything romantic or juicy. This of all Shakespeare's plays, or shall we specify comedies,has more than any other enthralled this writer. There is some magical quality about it - that magic word will be much overworked until the euphoria of the event lingers - but what else can you use to describe it?
A bonus point for the arriving audience was the way that the stage had been set out creating an enchanting atmosphere with albeit an eerieness that heightened the effect. Actually, I didn't notice the two forest nymphs at either end of the stage up-front until I had settled myself in my front row, dead centre seat. It was a brilliant piece of stagework and a somewhat mystified audience that was gathering was kept in suspense before the play proper began. The two human forest creatures, sitting neatly on their heels, had elaborate, white make-up to heighten their facial features and looked decidedly weird but exciting against a sylvan setting. It has become the done thing now for such productions to be backed by startling stage effects such as strobe lights and colour lights picking up the other less striking effects which could be a good thing in a play such as 'Midsummer Night's Dream. After all, it is meant to be a dream, so even a piece of floating gossamer would not have been out of place. A review of a recent production by a leading Colombo boys' school said quite a lot about the striking stage effects that had been employed to enhance the performances of the players. Like everything else this can be overdone, but in this case (Midsummer), it was boldly and brilliantly handled and did not at any time look overdone. There were two stand-out individual performances in this excellent production-veteran stage personality Jerome de Silva as Nick Bottom the weaver and the unheard-of Mario de Soyza's Oberon, king of the fairies. We have also to take into consideration the portrayal of 'that merry wanderer of the night, 'Puck or Robin Goodfellow, Oberon's personal aide, one might say. Charith de Silva's stage acrobatics were stunning, as he leapt from one set of stairs to the other and back, with a couple of pirouettes in the middle, with amazing dexterity while also speaking his lines. Everyone's idea of Puck may be of a wisp of a spirit clad in skins and fur, and small enough to creep under your seat without being noticed. At least that is the Puck that stole the show at the famous openair matinee performance at London's Regents Park which this writer was fortunate enough to see twice in three days some years ago. Helena (Neidra Williams) who was also a co-director of the play with Jehan Bastians, was worthy of special mention, as was Hermia (Natalie A Soysa), who get involved in the most intricate and impossible love situation with their respective lovers,all victims of Puck's mischief. Here, Charith de Silva's playing of Puck was sometimes quite diabolical, which element one supposes Puck did possess. This slightly macabre characterisation was emphasised by the single horn sticking up from the middle of his head. Oberon was the dream in the play, but unfortunately, his Titania did not come upto his standard, one drawback being her poor diction, while Oberon's was impeccable, as was Bottom's, coming through clearly even after the ass' head was clamped down on his own. As for the Play Within the Play - it was hilarious, especially the performances of Pyramus and Thisbe whose real names were unfortunately not in. Or were they classified as 'other faeries?', in the printed programme. The Play's rehearsal was performed on Midsummer's eve; it was to have been performed at the wedding of Theseus, Duke of Athens. The two principal males of romantic interest, Lysander (Jehan Bastians) and Demetrius (Ian van Hoff)put up rather lack-lustre performances, but pitted against two very determined and hysterical women,would have had to play very forcefully if they were to have made some impact. The musical effects, by Danush de Costa,were effective, although there could have been more orchestration. As for the costumes and make-up - I loved the gold glitter on Oberon's face, and his crown. An imaginative and cleverly crafted play. - Karel Roberts Ratnaweera ######### Sulang Kirilli : A cry on behalf of all women By Jayanthi Liyanage Motherhood is sacred. Yet, in certain circumstances, the very
motherhood which is sanctified otherwise, is reviled and the mother, The young woman's split second cross-over to the other side of the road, which transforms into a two hour whim of dreams called 'Sulang Kirilli' (Wind Bird), which is at cross-swords with the rude reality, shared the "Best Film" award from the OCIC (The International Catholic Bureau of Film) competitive category, with "A crabe dans la tete" by Andre Turpin from Canada. 'Sulang Kirilli' is my cry on behalf of all the women in the world," says Inoka who scripted, directed and produced her cinematic inquiry into the relevancy of the section of the local Penal Code which criminalises abortion and the civil law which surreptitiously permits an "illegitimacy" of birth. "My film is not an insistence that abortion should be legalised but an urging to remove the social barriers which deprive unmarried mothers of support systems. Often, they are totally helpless with no economic power to overcome social pressures." Feeling that the films on women's concerns made by men tend to project rather a male eye-view, she believes that "Since I am a woman myself, I can discern another woman's heart beat with a woman's eye-view and this is what I have infused in 'Sulang Kirilli.' Commenting on 'Sulang Kirilli's' participation at the Tokyo International Film Festival, Inoka says, "Many thought that the film 'Flying with one wing' and 'Sulang Kirilli' competed together at the festival and my film failed to win an award. While I greatly appreciate Asoka Handagama's achievement of winning the award 'Best Asian Film', I want to explain that 'Flying with one wing' was in the 'Winds of Asia' section and mine was in the competitive category. This is the first time a local film has participated in the competitive category of this festival." Clarifying the significance of Montevideo International Film Festival, Inoka explains that it is one of the few festivals registered under IFFA (the International Federation of Film Archives), an oldest and world-recognised organisation for registering international film festivals, maintaining internationally accepted standards, which was founded in 1938 and currently has 120 institutions in 64 countries. OCIC comes under SIGNIS which was a jury at the Montevideo festival and is an NGO with members from 140 countries as the "World Catholic Association for Communication." SIGNIS is a merger of UNDA (for radio and television) and OCIC (for cinema and audio-visual), organising juries at festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Monte Carlo and Venice.) 'Sulang Kirilli' features Dhamitha Abeyratne, Linton Semage, Jayani Senanayake and Grace Ariyawimal and a musical score composed by Navarthna Gamage, using only two human voices, and will be released to the Regal circuit within a few months. ######### 'Otherside' at Barefoot Gallery When one thinks of advertising, one thinks of briefs, deadlines, ideas, creative writing and art directing. Right? Well think again. The staff of Phoenix Ogilvy & Mather, one of the country's leading ad agencies, are once again poised to display their "Other" hidden talents.
So what can one expect to see? Well here's a little hint. Photography of landscapes, people and wildlife, remarkable abstract, watercolour and oil paintings, sculptures in various material and forms and of course the performing arts, which is to be a surprise. At Phoenix O & M they don't believe that creativity should be the prerogative of the Creative Department. They believe that each and every employee working within an agency should have a creative spirit lurking within them. The "Otherside" is an exhibition of sorts that gives expression to this free spirit. So where will the "Otherside" be? At the Barefoot Gallery on May 10 and 11th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
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Theatre, April
25th and 28th. Produced by Silent Hands, in association with the English
Literary and Drama Society of St. Peter's College, Bambalapitiya
The players in some pre-play publicity, had said that what they were
going to do was make it look different while retaining the Shakespearean
language, or words to that effect. The different elements were cleverly
married and the activity worked out like some rich tapestry being woven, a
stuff that was spangled with glittering pinpoints of stagecraft.
so to
say, is literally stoned by an unyielding society. For depicting on screen
the silent tears and yearnings of such a young mother-to-be, Inoka
Satyangani won the Opera Prima Award as the Best Director in a Director's
First Works category at the 21st Montevideo International Film Festival (XXI
International Film Festival of Cinemateca del Uruguay).
The "Otherside" is about inspiration, creativity, fun and
being way out and wacky. And although it is an exhibition by the agency as
a whole, the exhibits and items which will be displayed are mainly
individual choices.
