  It
isn’t everyday that you meet a playwright who is passionate about the
drama circles, especially a full-time one. So, Panorama magazine asked
Jehan Aloysius how he managed to earn his bread and butter by chanelling
his energies into drama. He laughs and says, “I was asked that question
by my previous boss, my family and friends and my reply is that I earn
my living by freelancing for recordings and other productions like that
giving me time to rehearse for my drama productions”.
Hailing from a very drama-oriented background, Jehan says that his
doctor father was very involved in producing plays for the Doctor’s
Wives’ Association and his mother had the drama streak from her school
days. “I remember I was always onstage from the time I was five years
old” he reminisces. His first spark of drama interest began at school
and Jehan confesses, “During my school days at St. Joseph’s College, I
managed to act and co-direct the play `Richard III’ where I was
nominated for Best Actor and our school made history by winning the
Shakespeare Drama Competition for the first time in 1995”.
It was after this feat that Jehan directed his Alma Mater’s acting
team in the competition for the years 2000, 2001 and 2003 where they’d
always bag awards.When he was 19 years old, he made his first big
production `Ritual’ where people were rather skeptical that he was fit
enough to handle the job.
“I even used to lie about my age when it came to interviews” he says
humorously.
Jehan acknowledges Jith Peiris who produced his first ever drama
which was a hit. “He was one of the few who believed that he could make
it” he said. Jehan also thanks the British Council for moulding him into
the play wrightful person he is today.
“I was sent abroad on assignments and training workshops where I was
coached by John Martin, a master in forum theatre,” he says. Jehan has
even participated in the Edinborough Fringe Festival for theatre and has
worked on many reputed productions with international playwrights and
performers.
Centre Stage Productions is Jehan’s production company and Stage
Hands Productions is its charity and humanitarian arm. “I always wanted
to make a difference in theatre because I believe that making a change
through theatre is possible”.
He says that he has received the best job offers but nothing comes
close as the volunteer work he does with Stage Hands. “For the past 5
years, we put together eight productions and one of our best will be
this year in June where we are working with differently abled children
from the Sunera Foundation” says Jehan.
“I believe in the 4 I concept which are Interact, Interpret,
Interrogate and Integrate because you need productions to give you
experience where the audience interacts with the performers, understands
the act, makes a change and ensure that it is sustainable” says Jehan.
“I was touched and changed as a person when I worked in the war-torn
areas especially right after the tsunami” he says. Jehan highlights that
his work helping children carry on and supporting people get their feet
back on the ground has emotionally moved him and he says that this is
his life’s calling.
“There is plenty of potential among the English theatrical circles
with talented directors and performers taking the stage” says Jehan.
His advice to would-be theatre whiz kids is: “Theatre is education”.
He would like to see more people getting the opportunity to reach their
potential through theatre. “Theatre is life because it gives you
self-confidence and makes you responsible when you are a part of it”
Jehan concludes.
-Nilma
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