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| Sunday, 14 November 2004 |
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Blood wedding by Vimukthi Fernando
It is a piece from the adventurous, fertile and close to the heart Spanish Theatre. It is not just any piece, but a masterpiece on which rests the theatrical reputation of its creator, Frederico Garcia Lorca who is considered the greatest Spanish poet in the 20th century in 'Blood Wedding'. "It is very close to my heart. The themes subjected to the 'Blood Wedding' - silent suffering of people especially women, due to cultural and social stigma and the taboos of love, sex and marriage. The style Lorca presents is poetic and precise. Its cynosures, intensity and tension attracted me to the play," says Kaushalya Fernando, the play's Sri Lankan Director. 'Sanda Langa Maranaya' the Sri Lankan interpretation of 'Blood Wedding' goes on stage at the Bishop's College Auditorium on November 13 and 14 at 3.30 and 7.30 p.m. 'Blood Wedding', produced in 1933, was the first in the 'trilogy of the Spanish earth' portraying contemporary spanish life by Lorca. Based on a newspaper report of a bride who ran off with her lover on her wedding night, in the play Lorca puts her in the middle of an ancient blood feud bringing in the themes such as extremism, intolerance and inflexibility in society. 'Blood Wedding' is also reputed to have restored tragic poetry to the Spanish stage. A tragedy of missed love, the story line and the theme make the play quite relevant at any age/era. In the same manner, it is relevant to Sri Lanka as well, says Kaushalya. We say that society is modernised. But, still, in the heart of hearts we are very conventional. Of course people can be quite modern, everything else could be bohemian but not matters concerning the average woman. Her place is still inside the house, looking after children, protecting family honour, says Kaushalya.
At Sri Lankan Sinhala theatre, it takes the shape of a semi-musical-surrealistic type with choreographed movements, music, rhythm, vivid lighting and colours and very intense acting on stage. The production strategy is to impart to the audience an entertaining yet intense theatre experience, says the director. "Some identify the 'Blood Wedding', as a tough play to direct. However, the challenge was to present such an intense play at an instantaneous, fast paced, superficial and materialistic era. The music, choreography and lighting are used to bring out the mood and intensity, not to make it a burden on the spectator. For the Sri Lankan audience, it is brought in a way to sit and enjoy as well as to feel it," says Kaushalya. The way to the realisation of her dream of the 'Blood Wedding', had been slow and arduous. Though the caste have much experience in children's theatre through the Play House drama school in Kotte, they have not portrayed such deep and complex characters, says Kaushalya. Three months of acting workshops to fine-tune the group actors followed by five months of formal production work led the way to the culmination on November 13, at the Bishop's College Auditorium. However, the group was "enthusiastic, obliging and very supportive," says Kaushalya.
While Chamila Peiris, Wishvajith Gunasekera, Prasanna Mahagamage portray the three main youth characters wrapped up in the love triangle, the caste consists of Nadee Kammallaweera, Suresh Fernando, Nayomi Gunasisir, Lakmini Seneviratne, Sharmaine Gunaratne, Mayura Kanchana, Sanjaya Hettiarachchi, Champika Kannangara, Ishara Wickramasinghe, Thilokanee Gunasekera and a number of newcomers. Nadeeka Guruge, Chandana Aluthge, Namal Jayasinghe and Sumedha Hewawitharana supports the production with music, choreography, stage sets and make-up respectively. |
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A love triangle. The youth - their energy, honesty and intensity that
turns them out as victims of the fanaticism of society. A bride who runs
off with her lover on her wedding night. An ancient blood feud which
brings tragedy for all.
'Blood Wedding' is sought out world over for its high drama, relentless
tension and freedom of thought. It has been presented to spectators
throughout the world in different performing art forms and languages.
She is also greatly appreciative of the support of the two veterans in
theatre, Somalatha Subasinghe and Lucian Bulathsinhala who appear on stage
at the 'Blood Wedding', after a brief spell of absence from the stage.
