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| Sunday, 7 May 2006 |
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Arts Sevanali: A cry for peace, to stop war drums by Ranga Chandrarathne
The Lumbini stage becomes dark and under the spot light, a girl of 13 years sits and jots down something in her diary. She reads, ... "My diary is my good friend. I write it, so that one day someone will have a use of it. They will learn something from it ... Sometimes how we lived...then they will learn that it is children who suffer most from WAR". Thus starts the Sevanali (The shadows) by Ravindra Ranasinghe. The drama is a presentation by the Sambodhi Institute of Education. It is a timely production, as Sri Lanka has been engaged in a low intensity conflict for two decades with deeply inflicted social scars and prejudices in the minds of one community against the other, while fanatics and war-mongers are still trying to beat the drums of war addressing the tribal sentiments of the people and idolizing war as a final solution to the problem. Though the South now experiences a relatively calm atmosphere, the decades of war in the North and the East has left a trail of destruction, and well over sixty thousand persons killed, and rendering thousands of others refugees in their land of birth. Although the North had been directly affected by the war, thousands of soldiers' wives were widowed by it in the South, creating a host of new problems.
In this backdrop, a drama based on Anne Frank's Diary is apposite for Sri Lankan audience as it is timeless and universally applicable to any situation of war to drive home the truth that the most affected by the war, are the children and their innocent world. Therefore, one cannot cynically take the relative peace experienced in the South as a stable situation that demands more and more calm and serene dramas rather than anti-war performances. Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who had to spend her days under the spell of Nazi atrocities and her diary, which began on June 12, 1942 and ended on August 1, 1944, recorded the most authentic account of events leading to the execution of Jews in Concentration camps. The only survivor of Anne's family, her father, handed down his daughter's diary for publication. Since then, it has inspired many works and it's rendering into a drama by veteran dramatist Ravindra Ranasinghe, with many constrains should be appreciated as a creative step taken in the right direction, to defuse racial elements in the society, and to speak to the conscience of the people on the futility of war. According to the drama what ultimately remains is a tragic void. The cast Nilmini Fernado (Anne Frank), Gayani Keshika (Margot), Theekshana Pramuditha (Peter), Kavya Aloka (grand son), Lalani Fernando (Thalemann's Mother) and other players do justice to their roles though they are relatively new to the stage. Background music of gunfire and some video footages, which constantly remind the audience of some important events during the Second World War; have been aptly incorporated into the drama. It should be noted that the background music, though serves to remind the war, sometimes does not synchronize with the scenes which unfold on the stage as sounds of gun rattling and firing that overwhelms conversations in certain scenes. The costume design and lighting, even though under trying circumstances in Lumbini theatre, have been done excellently. Director Ravindra Ranasinghe was able to get the maximum performance from the young talented cast who show undoubtedly that they have a bright future in store. Down to earth language, and Brecht's style of constantly distracting the audience from being emotionally linked with the characters of the drama have been achieved by the employment of diverse techniques such as showing video footages and emerging actors among the audience. Sevanali (The Shadows) is a drama that you could not afford to miss and should be watched by politicians and all decision makers. It is a wonderful theatrical experience for Sri Lankan theatregoers. Narnia, awake
We all have our dreamscapes. Some of them realistic, some of them absurd, some of them impossibly idealistic, most of them surreal, and many of them simply-magical. The Drama Society of S. Thomas' College Mt. Lavinia brings you one mans dreamscape. An imaginary land that has inspired many children to follow their dreams, and be moral and upright. A fictitious land that has spawned a book, a movie, and now-a musical stage production. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This will be the largest drama production the Drama Society of S. Thomas' (and indeed, any school thus far, unless I am mistaken) has ever undertaken. Below is a brief overview of the speaking roles in the play, and the students playing them: As the weeks go on, a more in-depth analysis of characters and cast will be provided to you. The White ... Dilesh Dias, the President of the Drama Society, will be playing the evil White Witch, in the production. It is his character that has cursed Narnia with a curse of perpetual winter. It is she who desires to rule Narnia, and have it for herself. Her assistant, the Dwarf, will be played by Malinka Ranasinghe. Denham David will act as Maugrim, the evil wolf who is the captain of the White Witch's army.Ranshan Gomez will be playing the High King Peter, the eldest of the four children, and the leader of the Free People of Narnia. He is Aslan's right hand. The role of Lucy, the youngest (and most adorable) of the four children will be played on alternating nights by Dinel Dias and Anushka Samarasinghe. Shehan Gomez will act the role of Susan, the elder of the two sisters, or "Daughters of Eve", while Mario Attanayake will play the role of Edmund-probably the more twisted character in the play. Aslan himself will be played by Shanil Wijesinha. Aslan is the saviour of Narnia, and of many worlds, though you will not know that unless you have read all seven chronicles attentively. Not just cricket by Aditha Dissanayake
Advise about drawing apart, Sarath is at the moment eager to talk about his paintings which are now on permanent display at cenart.net in Canberra, proving to Australians that there is far more to Sri Lanka than its national cricket team. Hailing him as Sri Lanka'a foremost contemporary artist, art critic Michael Ashcroft urges his countrymen to discover the rich and vibrant culture, the long history and the deep traditions of "this tiny country...which comes to the attention of most Australians only when its national cricket team happens to be playing ours". His paintings which have been compared to natural forces like the monsoons by Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa and which have already been exhibited in France, Bangkok, London, New Delhi, Bangladesh etc., are at times a display of surreal eroticism and at times of thrilling ambience. To quote Ashcroft "One could wax eloquent for hours on Sarath'a use of colour, his strong flowing lines, the hidden secrets of his keen examination of the human spirit in all the countries he has visited, or even his uncanny skill in expressing his observations in his works that completely absorb the viewer, but suffice it to say that the soul of his work is expressed adequately by his childlike delight and enthusiasm for art and his selflessness in sharing that enthusiasm with anyone who takes the time to accept it." Undoubtedly, a part of S. H. Sarath'a genius belongs with genius of all times, while another part belongs with our own period. Here is someone who fits Cezanne's description, "to paint well is to express one's own epoch." Historical titbits from India
The 140 photographs taken by Amith spanning 12 years and 54 trips to India captures the changes that have taken place across the years, in many Buddhist places of worship. Among some of the photos are the pond of Queen Mahamaya, the Palace of King Suddodana and the room of Rev. Ananda thera. Given the exhibition is held during the Vesak celebrations the photographs are sure to provide a passage to India for Buddhist pilgrims. - Aditha |
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On the other hand, thousands of refugees and displaced persons and
children who have been forced to spend their formative years under decades
of war, perhaps, as child combatants and suicide bombers, have driven
suspicion into the core of the collective conscience of the society,
redefining the entire gamut of human relations. 
Staring at the plethora of colours; bright reds, blues, greens and
oranges that stare back at you from the paintings of S. H. Sarath it's
impossible not to ask yourself "how does he do it?". Voice the question
aloud and he has two words to give "through observation". In Sarath's world,
the laws are simple. If you are drawing a tree pay attention to every detail
- right down to the very last leaf. 
An exhibition of photographs by Amith Ranadeva depicting historical
places in India will be on display at Sri Chandrananda Buddhist College,
Kandy (opposite Asgiriya Grounds) on May 12, 13 and 14 2006. 
