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| Sunday, 19 September 2004 |
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by Ranga Kamaladasa
Usually with experience we fall in love with the struggle. We embrace the challenges that are given to us, hoping day-by-day that our world will get better. But for some of us, the equation is too great, and hope is somewhat hard to get by. There are many differently-abled people living throughout Sri Lanka and most of them are usually neglected or set apart from society, leaving them without any hope or ambition to pursue. For these people the struggle of life sometimes become too overwhelming to bear. The Sunera Foundation, an islandwide network for helping differently-abled individuals is one of the innovative organisations in Sri Lanka that reach out towards these people in need, and give them some hope and support. They've established numerous schools islandwide for the differently-abled children and recently they have started on a five-day leadership training workshop, which they've already done in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Badulla, Hatton and Tangalle.
"It's very hard at first, when you categorise them as disabled they won't do anything," says K. Suren of Jaffna, who was chosen to help the differently-abled people. "Sometimes they go completely out of control. They shout all sorts of things. Sometimes they even try to strangle us. They jump-up and down around the room yelling that they want to go home. But deep down we know that they're also reasonable human beings, struggling with the pressures of life. There're even some who are completely blind but can play the piano beautifully, better than any of us." The foundation also boasts a broad scope of ethnic variety. "There are people with us who speak Sinhala, Tamil and English as well as the people who can't speak in any language," says Premakumar a volunteer from Batticaloa. "The only way we communicate with each other is by means of sign-language. There is no official translator and that has become a plus point for us because now our communication is more personal and far more expressive for both parties." The children are also very enthusiastic and ambitious. "I'm very happy here," says Sanjeewa Munasinghe who spent two years at the Pubudu Training school for the gifted, "One day, I hope to be a teacher here, and help other people like me to overcome their difficulties." Inspired by these experiences the foundation moved on to another project, one that combines the strengths of Ranaviru Sevana, the Butterfly Theatre Company and the Sunera Foundation. From the talents gained from previous workshops they organised a group of young differently-abled individuals who performed a drama called 'Turtles will never fly' which made its debut in Bishops College Auditorium, yesterday. The workshops and the drama itself was funded by the Government of Netherlands and was meant as a gesture of their support for the activities which bring about interaction between diverse cultural and ethnic groups within Sri Lanka. "In a country which is said to have a conflict (for arguments sake) among different ethnic groups, it is essential for young people to understand that underneath the skin and bone we're all the same. The blood that runs through our veins, the beating of our hearts which call upon the fact that we are human no matter what religion, caste or creed we're bound to reveals to us the infinite humanity which undoubtedly is greater than any other virtue beheld upon us." These were the words of Rohana Deva, a co-founder of the Butterfly Theatre and one of the three choreographers of the Sunera Foundation who are directing the drama. A radio journalist by profession and an experienced puppeteer by his own right, Rohana also had some words to express about the talents they sought out in these workshops. "We didn't actually hold a competition and select the best," Rohana said. "For we believe that every person has their own unique style and ability. "This uniqueness is also the main factor which we use in our dramas. We allow each individual to interact with his or her group and we found out we've brought forth a group with a very broad scope of creativity." "We do a little thing we like to call the pen-dance," says Wolfgang or 'Wolf' as the children like to call him "our group holds hands together in a circle and we play a selected piece of music. The music is from various cultures and what we do is, we rotate a pen to select a leader. The pen will stop pointing at one person of the group, who will then show us how to dance. In this way we let these people improvise and in doing so, we let the children in the group realise each others feelings." Wolfgang Strange, another co-founder of the Butterfly Theatre Company and also the founder of the AMICI Dance Theatre Company is another experienced, key-person working for the Sunera Foundation. He has had much experience working in Europe, America and Asia, and has developed his own teaching method called Dance Dynamics. Ramani Damayanthi, an actress by profession is another founder of the Butterfly Theatre Company who is also a strong believer of art as a form of refuge for the differently-abled. Though she had won the Best Actress Award at the National Youth Drama Festival in 1994, 1995 and 1996 she has dedicated her life now for the well-being of these amazingly talented children. "To me these children are more than my life," said a very passionate Ramani hugging on to Chinthika, one of her pupils, "They love me very much, and I just hope that I can give them enough love in return." The drama 'Turtles will never fly' which was done by the group of young differently-abled individuals chosen from the islandwide programs included some hilarious scenes from our so-called 'normal society'. The message it conveys to the society leaves all sorts of things for us to ponder around with. "Who is mad? Is 'she' mad? Are they mad? Or are we all mad? Who sees the real truth?" To sum it up the directors, Wolfgang, Rohana and Ramani have done a superb job with these young people. The wonderful thing is they've not forced anyone to do it. It's obvious from their smiles they're thoroughly enjoying it for themselves. The fact that they're doing something big for the society, is also a great achievement for them. No doubt the struggle for life will cease for them for a moment. But most importantly, hope will bloom in these young hearts for a long time to come. ############ Cutting Edge Stuff
Rag a tragi-comedy seeks to objectively interrogate the phenomenon of ragging and violence in local universities. The plot follows Joe, a regular 'Colombo boy' with strong ideals and a major dream to change the system of initiation in academic institutions. A true idealist, he seeks to end war with 'words' not 'violence'. Needless to say, this young man has to savour the bitter flavour of realism when he enters the gates of the university. The past, in the form of his childhood soul-mate Peter, emerges with a vengeance as a senior out to fulfil a personal vendetta against the hapless Joe. Relationships and cliques form as the 'freshers' (undergrads) settle into the new social unit of university life and its politics. Soon, even the peace-loving Joe is thrown unwittingly into the midst of campus politics as the anti-raggers and pro-raggers prepare to battle it out on the university grounds. The musical is a blend fact and fiction, and is presented using the techniques of musical comedy, though the main plot ends in violence and tragedy. The theme of Rag is an extremely timely one. Indeed, the play, which was completed in 1999, has proven to be uncannily prophetic in foretelling events that took place several years after it was written. The musical brings together a superlative creative team that has been actively involved in musical theatre, orchestral music and choral singing. Jehan Aloysius, who has directed and performed in major musicals has composed the music and directed the choreography, while Avanti Perera's experience in the Symphony Orchestra has contributed to the intricate orchestrations that have enhanced the score. The choral direction is by Deshan Cooray of the Old Joe's Choir, who also worked with Jehan on his spectacular production of the biblical epic The Prince of Egypt. Moreover, as the narrative of Rag is mainly in song, the lead roles have been taken on by prominent singers who have made a name for themselves in musical theatre such as Dushyanth Weeraman (Guttila), Anjuli Gunaratne (Mary Anne Singers), Samantha Ferdinand, Shanaka Cooray (Old Joe's Choir), Ruveen Dias (Bengal Bungalow) as well as Jehan Aloysius. The ensemble will comprise The Old Joe's Choir, who have made a name for themselves under the guidance of Deshan Cooray. The performance on September 25 will be for exclusive invitees. However, theatre lovers will have a chance to experience the best of Rag on September 26 at 7.30 p.m. The chief sponsor of the festival is The British Council. A limited number of tickets for the 26th are available at the Namel and Malini Punchi Theatre in Borella. |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
We all have ups and downs in life. Sometimes we think that we are
balanced and steady, while sometimes we think it's all over. There're
times that we wish to become someone completely different, to live a life
entirely different from our own. It's true. Life is a struggle.
Quite frankly they were amazed at the range of talents displayed by
those who participated. They also felt that the social problems the
children faced varied from area to area, and in turn they have begun to
focus their attention to build up a warm, friendly and supportive
environment, not only for the individuals who were disadvantaged, but also
to those who shared their lives with, and eventually they've made the
first step in overcoming those social barriers to help these young people
in need.
CentreStage Productions, fast acquiring a reputation for producing
quality original plays for the English theatre, will present an evening of
cutting-edge musical theatre when they present The CentreStage Festival on
the September 25 and 26 at the Punchi Theatre. The show, featuring the
best of the original musical titled Rag, is directed and choreographed by
Jehan Aloysius, who has been associated with a host of spectacular
musicals over the last 12 years.
