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| Sunday, 24 August 2003 |
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"I believe all women are shrews these days" says actor, director and writer Indu Dharmasena, of his "Kate", in his musical version of the Great Shake's "Taming of the Shrew" (TOTS) which will hopefully go on the boards in October 2003, as a part of his contribution for Lionel Wendt's 50th Anniversary. A Modern Shrew, who is a career oriented professional at the top of administration, with a wicked and mean streak, Indu believes this to be the contemporary of women today, who because of wearing pants finds it difficult to make successful marriages. Hoping to team up with Soundari David for the musical composition, Indu says "With Shakespeare's blank verse, the rhythm is already there, which simply needs to be transferred into musical verse". The play however will not be a first in Indu's adaptation of Shake's TOTS, as he has done a Sinhala version of it, for St.Bridget's Convent (SBC), in Kala Ulela, which was the first play he had written to be professionally performed. An avid fan of H.P. (he's half way through The OOTP) another of his future plans is to do a Singlish play called "Potta Harry", which will focus on a Sinhala Youth who keeps falling into trances, having visions, and the big company directors, politicians and their wives who consult him. This Sri Lankan Harry's plot however has still to take shape in writing, thus (keeping to the Rowling tradition) won't be out for some time. On par with the great Shake with 37 plays to his credit (which he hopes to surpass in time) drama for Indu is a flexible rope which can be shortened, lengthened and twisted so as to see it in many different angles. "Whether it be doing your own play, or rewriting another" says Indu "there is so much you can do in drama, with its plot, themes and characters". Ever famous for his popular Tommiya series, which began as a small skit he did for a Muslim Ladies Association, which later developed into a fully fledged play with three acts, called "Maday Ithing Dubai Giya", this first Indu Tommiya will be revised on stage this September. With a love to make people laugh, Indu favours portraying characters on the humorous side. "I can't understand people who think that serious drama is all about doing tragedy, when doing a comedy requires a lot of effort and seriousness as well" says Indu simultaneously pointing out that it is harder to make people laugh than to make them cry. Well known in schools for his bark, which he says is worse than his bite, Indu has directed and acted in many school musicals such as "Camelot", "My Fair Lady" and "Beauty and the Beast" for S.B.C, "The Fiddler on the Roof" and "Mousetrap" for Visaka, "Peter Pan" and the "Boy Friend" for Gateway, "The Hunchback of Notre Dam" for Wycherly, "The King and I" which he directed together with "Sammy" for AIS, plus acted as the King when the Yolande School produced it. Listening to his parents discuss scripts, plots, editing, themes and characters, as a kid, when they once produced a film, young Indu picked on, using it and his natural instincts in "Lee kudu Keviththiya" a drama he wrote, performed in and directed at the age of twelve, for his grade's show in the upper school's concert for the orphans. Based on one of his Ayah's Sri Lankan folk tales told to him in days gone by, "Lee kudu Keviththiya", which was really supposed to have gone as "Dhahaya kudu Keviththiya", saw tomboy Indu as a foolish, simple minded, down to earth brother. Thus in school this tomboy who would as his class teachers reprimanded "Danced the devil on stage" developed his love, skill and experience for stage. His biggest Dramatic Influence - Yoland Abeywira, who would direct the school dramas at the time. "I am thankful to Yoland, whom I consider my Guru in Theatre, and to the Sinhala Drama Association teachers who encouraged me to write" says Indu. Being the head of the school, and doing more extra curricular activities than studies, Indu describes school as the best years of his life. Doing maths for his degree, Indu at the time had the option of either lecturing at campus or joining the Central Bank. He (who was a she then) did neither, not for not liking the jobs, but cause he (she) would have had to wear a sari. Thus Indu went into advertising, a field he still is in today. Of his directing Indu says his style has changed. "Those days I would act every character and show my cast. The outcome was a lot of little Indu's on stage. Now, I just speak about the characters and let them bring the characters out. However I rarely give them a free reign to do just whatever they want". Other than theatre Indu has a passion for photography, which he says becomes as addictive as driving a car. Having done painting in school, he gave it up when he left, as soon as the camera fell into his hands. Initially clicking scenes from wildlife, and having a love for trees, photography was an art inspired by his father, who would often make wildlife trips and who coincidentally died while out there (in Yala) of a heart attack. Indu also loves watching movies and doing a spot of light reading when he's not busy. Of his biggest ambition, which has come true now, the sex transformation, Indu says "The acceptance hasn't been so difficult, as throughout my life, people have anyway seen me more as a male than a female". So who is this 47-year-old, born on the 10th July, writer, director, actor, transsexual, photographer, once head of SBC, maths graduate who went into advertising? "That's a hard one to answer" says Indu "If you asked me to go on stage and act as a hundred different characters I would, but if you asked me to step on stage as myself, I'd run a mile away. Life by experience has made me tough. Some people find me aggressive and controlling, others who see kindness as a weakness, think me a fool. I believe in living life, the way I want to, as long as it is not harmful to other people". By Farah Macan Markar |
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