Preparing for ‘stage love’, on stage

By Dilshan Boange

Udayasiri Wickremaratne is now ready to present his third work of theatre to the theatergoers in Sri Lanka following the success of two stage plays which were written and directed by him.

Known firstly for his work Suddek Oba Amathai which was followed by Rangapem Ivarai the playwright-cum-director has enjoyed some considerable success for presenting what was perceived as novelties due to their unconventional structures or presentations as stage plays.

Critical responses were at times mixed and some even questioned whether the aforesaid works could be called stage plays when looked at from the traditional standpoint as to what a stage play should be. However, despite the negative critical reactions the plays did garner public support through being in demand by theatergoers.

Wickremaratne who by profession is a Sinhala copywriter working at an advertising agency is now preparing to unveil his latest creation to the Sinhala stage on January 17 at the Tower Hall theatre in Maradana.

In an interview with Montage he provides some insights about how he views audience responses and feedback in relation to his work as a theatre practitioner and also his next stage play. Excerpts:

Question: How has the audience response been to your drama Rangapem Ivarai? Has it been shown in many parts of the country?

Answer: We have got the best responses from outside Sri Lanka actually. And this was from Los Angeles and New York.

The audiences grasped the philosophical implications of the drama. For example, we do not receive high appreciation for the ‘dream’ segment in Rangapam Ivarai. It’s got a somewhat philosophical theme that but the Sri Lankan viewers in those cities fully comprehended it.

We have people such as Dr. Sarath Gunapala, Dr. Nandasiri Jasenthuliyana, Major General Shavendra Silva, Linton Samage, Rukantha Gunathilake, Chandraleka Perera, Dilani Abewardena in the audience of the US shows.

They have gauged the full meaning of Rangapam Ivarai. After the New York show one Sri Lankan young man now leading a life which may not have been possible in Sri Lanka for him, told me after the drama In New York that I have been the only one ‘without Sabakolaya (stage fright)’.

Now I also have been captured by ‘Sabakolya’.

In Sri Lanka we have somewhat slowed our drama shows as we have taken a decision to limit one show only for one day in contrast to the usual practice of two shows a day.

This decision has cost us a lot as we hardly go to the outstations with shows after that.

Rangapam Ivarai became very popular in a short time and held about 35 shows within three months. But after that decision our drama shows slowed down. We have to accept the reality that outside drama organisers cannot cover the cost by one show.

However, the three shows we did in the US covered all the costs for our US tour.

Styles

Q: Following Suddek Oba Amathai was Rangapem Ivarai. They can be said to have similar ‘styles’ in terms of how they are performed. Will your next drama have similarities in respect of ‘presentation style’?

A: No. The new drama is on traditional techniques of drama with usual style in dialogues. Anyway it will be a new experience due to its theme and content. I prefer to introduce it as a ‘stage film’.

This is a new term we invented for our new drama. This does not mean that I have abandoned the style I developed for Suddek Oba Amathai. Suddek is very popular and still attracts crowds. Theme and content of this new drama demands the traditional dialogue drama model.

Q: What can you share with the readers of Sunday Observer’s Montage about the theme and content of this next drama?

A: Love is the central theme you could say. It is very difficult to bring a happy ‘love theme’ to stage. Many of the love theme dramas are tragedies. In this sense this is a comedy on the original meaning of the word. I think the original meaning of comedy is a happy end in contrast to tragedy as being a sad end.

Comedy today means a different thing to Sri Lankan audiences. But this aspect also can be seen in this drama because it is as I said presented as a ‘stage film’. Love is the popular or main theme of cinema.

But in contrast in drama we see the main theme is politics. We have made young love the main theme in this but in a very special and new context. So you will see a new love or a love you haven’t seen yet.

It will be a new experience. In that way it is similar to ‘Suddek’. ‘Suddek’ brought a new experience to theatre. Our new drama too will do this. If we cannot bring new and fresh drama experiences to the stage there is no meaning of our work.

The essence or athma or best thing in the stage play is you haven’t seen it before. You are witnessing it for the first time in your life.

This is true for a playwright. He writes a thing which he had not written earlier. Then an actor performs a character on stage which he hasn’t or experienced earlier. Finally the result is a show the audience has never experienced.

Love is a familiar and known thing to all. But sometimes you will find some things in it has not been revealed to you yet, or you do not know or meet or face or recognise.

Audience

A drama is a collective effort. That is the beauty of a drama. You see one soul in different bodies. Different people perform together to create one soul.

That is because they share one heart to bring the drama to life. It is the beauty of a drama.

Q: Is there a particular type of audience segment you have made this drama for or is it for a general, mainstream Sri Lankan audience?

A: You could say it’s meant for mainstream Sri Lankan audience. I have seen Suba Saha Yasa as a six-year-old child. It is still in my memory. It is not Suba saha Yasa which I have seen as an adult.

A drama can make a child also happy. That is Sri Lankan way of dramas. Nari Bena is a different play according to the viewer.

The child sees one type of play in it while his father sees another play. Madura Jawanika is similar. This is the Sri Lankan mainstream but I think the right word is not mainstream but ‘tradition’.

Even children enjoy ‘Dahaata Sanniya’ though it is a devil dance. They do not understand the language in that performance which is meant for the adults in Daha ata Sanniya.

But they enjoy it for other aspects. Children see many things which their parents do not see in Daha ata sanniya and vice versa. This is our mainstream as I see it, adults together with children. And I try to cater to it.