Nilma Dole
Sending a love letter will never be the same again after you watch
`Encounters’ directed and produced by the dynamic sibling duo Nafeesa
Amiruddeen and Adam Mohammed Adamaly. Special thanks goes to Nadira
Adamaly.The production ‘Encounters’ is rather insightful, dark, intense
and can be rather thought-provoking, depending on which angle you look
at.
 In the first production, it ends on a positive note (as we are made
to believe) but the other was like - ‘Gosh! why did it have to end that
way’.The first drama ‘The Waiting Room’ by John Bowen was brilliantly
performed by Adam and Ranmali with a supporting funny `robotic’ role by
Tracy Holsinger.
Harriet is asked shown into a waiting room and after a few moments,
Paul comes too. Being the `nervous’ type, she makes some small talk
giving advice about his career as a shop assistant and asks him to play
a game of noughts and crosses while they wait. In the back of her mind,
she feels that she knows Paul from somewhere but cannot place him. It is
when she notices that they are both wearing identical watches that makes
her think twice.
The plot thickens when they realised that they were in love (or lived
together) with the same man. Harriet was his wife and he left her for
Paul but ended going back to her. However, both Harriet and Paul never
loved him and Harriet says that she asked him to leave.
The ending culminates in a poignant but positive scene and finally
the audience finds out that they were at a mortuary waiting to identify
their lover’s body and the scene ends when Harriet holds her hand to
Paul.
The second play is `Love Letters’ which is an intensely gripping
drama where emotions race and love letters race back and forth all
around the world between Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III.
They have a lasting friendship for 60 years which finally ends up
with Melissa’s death when she commits suicide.Melissa is portrayed as
rich, spoiled, who has a private nurse and goes to private schools. She
is artistic, divorced and then eventually becomes an alcoholic, is
bi-polar, and then becomes suicidal.
She hates writing “these goddamned letters” while Andy Ladd is
square, destined for Yale, a naval officer, a lawyer, and a U.S.
Senator, and says that “writing letters is what he loves most”.
In his preface to `Love Letters’, A. R. Gurney suggests that his
emphasis in this play on the importance of writing is more than
coincidental. Many in the audience leave a powerful `Love Letters’
performance with a tear on their cheeks.
The performance by Tracy Holsinger is definitely worth its weight in
gold.
 She is no doubt one of the best stage actresses English drama has
ever produced in Sri Lanka.
Her convincing, cigarette-smoking, teary-eyed, emotional, pompous and
sensitive character really invoked a sense of melodrama for the
theatre-goers who watched her act. Adam, is by all means one of the best
stage actors too but more than just playing a stunning role, the
chemistry between Tracy and him was brilliant.
Despite the sad ending, the drama stirred emotions that make you
think twice when you write a love letter as only you can give your love
story a happy ending.About the play, A.R.Gurney said, “This is a play,
or rather a sort of a play, which needs no theatre, no lengthy
rehearsal, no special set, no memorization of lines and no commitment
from its two actors beyond the night of performance.
It is designed simply to be read aloud by an actor and an actress of
roughly the same age, sitting side by side at a table.” No wonder
Elizabeth Taylor performed it two years ago with James Earl Jones for
charity.
 
Puss Case!
After seeing the numerous billboards, advertisements and big mania
for `Thank You for Voting’ everyone knows that Puss is Back. He’s been
seen with Preity Zinta and SRK and is planning to reveal what he does
within 24 hours of his life as a (corrupt) president.
Let’s hope the new actor is just as good as Dominic Kellar who gained
massive fanbase after the first run and re-run of Puss last year.
 
Drama Gurus Adam Mohammed and Nafessa Amirudeen expected to reveal a
re-run of `Encounters’ due to popular demand.
Their highly-acclaimed
production is a double combo of `The Waiting Room’ and the Pulitzer
nominated `Love Letters’, stars the terrific three - Ranmali Mirchandani,
Tracy Holsinger and Adam.
 Jehan Bastians and Neidra Williams’ drama company Silent Hands is
calling for auditions of their soon-to-be-staged drama ‘Move over Mrs.
Markham’.
Says producer Miranga of the outfit, “We will be conducting
open auditions for all characters of `Move over Mrs. Markham’.
Script
excerpts for reading will be provided on the day prior to your audition
and arrangements can be made for you to obtain a copy if you require an
excerpt beforehand.” |
