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| Sunday, 16 November 2003 |
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Features |  |
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Somalatha Subasinghe : Taking children's theatre to grassroots Life, elite and sedentary is not for this Mother Courage of Sri Lanka's Children's Theatre.
"Oh, the time I spend in those ambassadorial palaces is quite boring," comments Somalatha, the wife of an honoured diplomat. "If it wasn't for the support of my husband, I would not have the opportunity to produce any of the dramas. But, it is when I am with children, students and common people that I feel alive." "I never imagined that I would be in the theatre as a professional," says Somalatha, with over four decades of theatre behind her. Her interest was mostly in dance and painting. Active and mischievous during childhood, living in a village named Vigoda, in Divulapitiya she could not keep away from the sound of drums and chanting of kavi. Her debut into professional theatre was through 'Raththaran' by Prof. Sarachchandra, at the time she was an undergraduate in the University of Peradeniya. In her early 20s she had to play the role of Nonchihamy an old woman. 'Raththaran' sealed her fate. "Prof. Sarachchandra propelled me to stay on with theatre. He said that there are hundreds of women in the dancing arena, but no educated women for theatre," she reminiscences. It was a good time, when the resurgence of culture was on, says Somalatha. That was the time Prof. Sarachchandra was experimenting on elements of drama in folk ritual, through short plays in kolam style. He was a tower of inspiration and guiding light, every step of the way, says Somalatha. Gunasena Galappaththy, Henry Jayasena, Dayananda Gunawardene, Dhamma Jagoda, Ranjith Dharmakeerthi and Namel Weeramuni are but a few out of the many names she remembers with gratitude. For these directors, I was material to experiment on western classics. I learned from them, immensely. They sharpened my focus, improved my techniques, to be able to live in the characters I depicted, to feel and portray the intense feelings, to look at the characters in depth, she says. Adaptations of Yerma, Mother Courage, Dirty Hands, Colome, Street Car Named Desire and Low Debts are a few of the many adaptations she contributed to through acting and won fame for. Theatre paved way to the world of film and she portrayed different characters in 15 films including Madol Duuwa, Mahagedera, Viragaya and Vasanthaye Davasak. Mine was not a rosy path, all the way says Somalatha. For instance, though a teacher of economics and a graduate she was not permitted to go for practices by her strict mother she explains. The society at the time regarded acting as taboo for young females. But, my mother was good hearted and later on even accompanied me for rehearsals, she says. Somalatha is loved by all for her dedication for children's theatre. Her transition from that of a teacher to a playwright and drama director was natural she explains. As a professional actress she was asked to help in school productions by almost every school she taught in and her involvement with the Curriculum Development Centre in the Education Ministry with Kamala Peiris experimenting integration of art in the school curriculum paved the way. A ten month training in the Carl Orff Institute in Salzburg Austria focusing on music and movement for children and her years of experience lead her to establish Lanka Children's and Youth Theatre Association (LCYTA) and the Playhouse for Children in 1980. Kathandara Dekak, Thoppi Velenda, Vikurthi, Punchi Apata Den Therei, Gamarala Diviyaloke Giya Heti are but a few of her memorable creations for children. Pioneering Children's Theatre in Sri Lanka, I sacrificed a long time for it and for almost 20 years was the only one in the field, she says. The fruition of her determination was the award winning theatre artistes including actors and actresses raised from many parts of the country, at the national as well as the international levels. Even, last year Thoppi Welenda (Hat Seller) won acclaim at the Children's Theatre Festival in Seoul, Korea and International Children's and Youth Theatre Festival in Valenciennes, France. Sad about the plight of theatre in general and the deterioration of quality in children's theatre, her main ambition now is to take the best theatre to the children at the grassroots level. Unlike adults children cannot come to the theatre, so, the theatre has to go to the children, she explains. She performs this task through workshops conducted in rural areas, through LCYTA. Imparting knowledge has become her prime motive in life. "All what I have learned from my mentors is worth giving. Though I still like to act, now it is difficult. My mind is very active but now, my body cannot keep up with it. Therefore, I must teach" she says. |
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