Damayanthi’s debut play Gasthuwa Keeyada at Punchi Theatre

by Husna Inayathullah

Gasthuwa Keeyada will be staged at the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre, Colombo 8 on October 5 at 3.30 p.m and 6.45 p.m. There will be a repeat show at the S.D.S. Jayasinghe Hall, Dehiwala on October 12 at 3.30 p.m and 6.45 p.m.

Gasthuwa Keeyada is a stage drama directed by popular actress, Damayanthi Fonseka. It is adopted from the play Farewell in June published by Alexander Vampilov in 1966.

The play was translated by Amila Kumaratunge. This is his first translation. He also plays the character of a Cheerful boy.

“Everything has a price” is the underlying theme of the play. The story is about a group of university students in Soviet Russia. The drama has a touch of Russian literature with a sense of humour. The original storyline remains in tact to make the play comprehensible to the local audience.

Story

The story revolves around a group of university students. The protagonist Nikolai is played by Dasun Nishan. He falls in love with the Vice Chancellor’s daughter Thariya Kennedy. The Vice Chancellor has a grudge against the younger generation. He threatens to withhold his degree unless Nikolai ends his relationship with his daughter.

Nikolai meets an old horticulturist who tells him, “Every honest man has a price to pay for his honesty.” What one has to do is just to offer the right price. The characters of Bukin (played by Udara Rajapaksha) and Masha (played by Dinakshi Priyasad) and the marriage that takes place between them helps to keep the drama alive and humorous.

Except Charith Senadeera and Jagath Wijenayaka the rest of the cast consists of many youth new to the stage Altogether there are 13 actors in the play.

Music

The stage manager is Anil K. Wijesinghe. The music is directed by Darshan Kumar. The costume designer is Sandya Jayasuriya. The set designer is Sanjay Edirisinghe and the make-up is by Ramesh Mathageweera. The play is organised by Jude Srimal. “Stage is a school,” say the students who inspired me to train them,” Damayanthi Fonseka said.

Gasthuwa Keeyada is my first stage play in which I play one of the main characters and it was the drama in which I introduced myself to the film Industry. I turned a new chapter in my life in 2013 when I met Damayanthi Fonseka with my partner Tharya Kennedy. I was practising for a dance competition. Then we decided to join her drama school,” Udara Rajapaksha said.