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| Sunday, 18 July 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Semage's Gallery
Internationally famed Sri Lankan artist Kalasurie Jayasiri Semage is holding a solo-exhibition at the Semage Art Gallery, No. 3, Liliyan Avenue, Station Road, Mt. Lavinia. Semage has held many a one-man exhibition in countries like Nepal, Bangkok, Malaysia, Sweden, Switzerland and recently in Finland. Semage has the distinction of being the only Sri Lankan artist to have his painting is on view at the United Nations Headquarters Hall in Geneva.
There is more than mere talent behind the brush work of this rare artist with his sense of deep-rooted nationalism that seems to be guiding his creativity. His creations so far have been acceptable to the common man as well as to the sophisticated avant garde connoisseur. Among his masterpieces are paintings of village life, innocent village romance and the daily lifestyle of village folk in Sri Lanka, all finished in oil, acrylic and water colour. Over 50 paintings are on display at his gallery. #### Critics corner: 'Guttila' - Mostly brickbats The opening night True to Sri Lankan style, the play opened fifteen minutes late. The delay gave us women (sorry, ladies!) to size up each other and generally compare attire and the boys and men to ogle others' wives and singles! As voices soared and the heat began spreading through the lobby of the Bishops' a rather deep accented voice urged us to take our seats. This man from Benares then proceeded to walk through the entire lobby inviting all and disappeared into thin air! His entrance created a world of curiosity and theatre-goers then rushed (again in true Lankan style) to grab seats in spite of them being numbered.(!) The entree number was vibrant and full of colour. The actors were lively and looked authentic Benares folk (thanks to Lo-Ching-Wong). The kids were just great. The sets were magnificent. Doubtless it would have cost the very earth. The cast did their bit including Channa's damsels. The most disappointing feature was that the audience had to practically strain their ears in order to listen to every word being sung. Even those in the pricier seats had the same problem. It was a good idea that the organisers had decided to print the entire script in the souvenir - not that we could follow any in the dark - but once one got home the whole picture was enacted again through the beautiful words written by Uddaka Tennekoon and set to music by Diliup G. The producer (or whoever) should have paid more (much more!) attention to sound management is my humble opinion. As musicals are hardly ever produced in this country for lack of funding etc. the audience did actually look forward to listen closely to all that was happening on stage. One pays money solely for this purpose for if you take away sound, the entire production resembles a pantomime which unfortunately was what happened on this night. We can forgive the cast for mistakes and the stage-hands for some glaring errors like placing the backdrops as the lights turned on - this, in spite of the high-tech facilities that are used for co-ordinating between stage-hands and the set/light manager. (I do not know who was responsible) The audience only heard the rumble of King Brahmadatta's voice because he too suffered the same fate as the rest of the soloists. I presume he has a deep base. And what of Panditha? He lived his role seriously but suffered the same fate as that of others. The voices were carried only just barely. Mercifully, Guttila and Musila were undoubtedly equipped with better sound as well as Lord Sakka. We know Anupama had a lilting melodious voice because her voice too came through at times. The celestial beings of Sakka's abode were realistic. We were practically transported to The Other World by their swaying and chanting. Final days performance It was a definite improvement on sound. Thank you to all who gave us a rare musical treat. It is hoped that despite the cost of production, musicals of this nature take Colombo and other towns by storm. The fact that the entire production was made in Sri Lanka by Sri Lankans should be considered a plus point for any sponsor who's proud to be Sri Lankan. However, please work on a pre-publicity campaign so that others too can enjoy these performances. Once again, Congratulations! - Shanthi Wijesinghe #### 'Shorebirds' on show
Artist Lester Perera will hold his sixth exhibition of bird paintings titled Shorebirds on July 24 and 25 at the Lionel Wendt Gallery. The exhibition is open from 9 am to 6 pm on both days. Over 50 paintings most of them in watercolour and some in acrylic will be on display, offering rare and vital glimpses into Sri Lanka's wide and varied bird life. Shorebirds in their natural ambience of sea, sand and sky vie for attention with some studies of the artist's favourite forest birds in their natural habitat. Concurrently with the exhibition, there will be the release of Shorebirds, a book on bird watching in Sri Lanka, illustrated by Lester Perera with articles by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne - the fanatic bird watching duo's latest excursion into print. Copies of the 64 page book (with hard cover and dust jacket) will be on sale at a special discount price. Lester's first exhibition of paintings in Colombo in 1990 was received very well by friends and fans alike. Subsequent exhibitions were held in 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2002 which also evoked enthusiastic responses. His repertoire expanded with each exhibition while his mastery of his subject increased. The current display is stunningly authentic the brushstrokes, fluid and sweeping, combined with meticulous attention to detail bring both bird and habitat to life. A fanatic bird watcher, Lester paints directly from field observations, either at the site or based on field sketches made on site. His commitment is to produce authentic portraits of his favourite avifauna. 'For me, this is the most thrilling part of bird watching' he says. 'Some birds are very rare and therefore difficult to spot in the wild ... The challenge is to commit to sketch book or memory enough detail so that I can draw an authentic painting. #### 'Diyawadana Maluwa' People fighting for the sake of a drop of precious water discover they
are all one family. This is the theme of Diyawadana Maluwa, a The tele-drama features in key roles Sathischandra Edirisinghe (Udula Bandara), Janaka Kumbukge (Pandula), Nayana Kumari (Indivari), Ajith Lokuge (Manthri), Sampath Jayaweera (Rev. Assaji), Dayadeva Edirisinghe (Lakshman), Daya Thennakoon (Jayatissa), Nadi Chandrasekara (Piyumi) and Jagath Beneragama (Lal) and extols the virtues of preserving and protecting our rich hydro systems, by illustrating the disasters that may befall if the irrigation systems are damaged by inhuman deeds or incorrect usage. Based in Raja Rata, Sri Lanka's tank country, the story begins with the bund of a tank being damaged by the movement of heavy vehicles mostly owned by Lakshman, a businessman who had risen from the status of driver to millionaire. His business is shared by the local MP. Udula Bandara, a traditional farmer who is an epitome of the culture synonymous with Raja Rata, fights Lakshman with his son, Rev. Assaji and the village farmers. Lakshman's only daughter, Indiwari, a final year university student, meets Pandula, the newly appointed engineer in charge of Raja Rata tanks on the train. Pandula is an orphan raised in a walawwa and boarding school and is appreciative of his culture, religion and nature. Scripted by K.B. Herath, Diyawadana Maluwa is presented by 'Sashri' Film and Television Creations. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Semage's creations have been achieved through remarkable effort. Ever
since he drew his first baby elephant on a black slate of the school in a
hamlet off Ambalangoda over three decades ago. This talented artist has
not looked back.
30-episode
tele-drama produced and directed by Kalasuri Sathischandra Edirisinghe,
which commenced its Friday telecasts on Rupavahini Channel on July 9, 2004
at 8.35 p.m.
