Maname staged in Canada
by Rajendra Alwis
Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra's iconic twin dramas Maname and
Sinhabahu were staged recently in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. This
marked the first time the celebrated Sri Lankan playwright's work was
shown in Canada, much to the delight of Canadians of Sri Lankan origin.
"It required meticulous planning and a lot of hard work by a lot of
people, but the end result is worth all the trouble", said President of
the Peradeniya Alumni Ottawa Chapter Dr. Sange De Silva, one of the
event's organisers, at the inaugural ceremony.
He said: "This is a watershed moment for all of us and we're very
happy that Maname and Sinhabahu are finally being staged in Canada."
The Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya, Canada -
Ottawa Chapter organised the twin shows to commemorate Prof.
Sarachchandra's birth centenary, which were staged back-to-back in a
suburban Ottawa auditorium, and attended by several hundred Sri Lankan
and non Sri Lankan Canadians from Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.
Accompanying the troupe was Lalitha Sarachchandra, the wife of the
late Prof. Sarachchandra, whose painstaking efforts over the years have
helped keep Prof. Sarachchandra's work alive and secure for new
generations to appreciate and enjoy.
"Prof. Sarachchandra left us with a legacy. His work is timeless.
They reshaped Sinhala drama and hold a very special place in Sri Lankan
literature. It is our duty to keep the flame alive and to promote these
unique works of art not only in Sri Lanka but around the world", said
Lalitha Sarachchandra, who addressed the audience before and after each
drama.
"We are delighted that after so many years, we were able to bring
Maname and Sinhabahu to Canada", said Mrs. Sarachchandra.
At the curtain call, in each drama, Lalitha Sarachchandra introduced
the team of actors with a deep sense of appreciation and affection.
Among them were Sanath Wimalasiri (Maname Kumaru/ Sinhabahu), Taranga
Karunanayake (Maname Kumari) Nihari Wickramarachchi (Suppa Devi)
Jayantha Bandara (Sinhaya/Vedi Raju).
The entire audience responded enthusiastically to the dramatic and
skilful performances of all actors of the day and it truly turned out to
be a memorable evening to all those who were present at the event.
At the end, the President of the Peradeniya Alumni Ottawa Chapter Dr.
Sange De Silva proposed the vote of thanks extending his sincere thanks
to his executive committee and to all those who contributed to make this
event a memorable success. |