'Actor is one who is made and not one who is born'

Should be the motto of the Sinhala theatre
 

by Prof. Ariya Rajakaruna, Translated by Ranga Chandrarathne

A critique on the State Sinhala
Drama Festival of 1966

(This is a translation of a critique by Prof. Ariya Rajakaruna. He served as the Head of the Department of Sinhala of the University of Peradeniya. He is currently a visiting lecturer attached to the Departments of Fine Arts and Sinhala. This is the only comprehensive review written in Sinhala on any State Sinhala Drama Festival held During the last five decades. This review was first published in 1967).This critique has been translated for the first time.

The annual State Drama Festival organised by the Sub-Committee of the Sinhala Arts Council was held at the Lumbini Theatre in Havlock Place from November 2 to December 4, 1966. The Festival lasted for more than two months. This had been an excellent opportunity to understand the present state of contemporary Sinhala Drama. Altogether, there were eighteen dramas which had been staged during the festival. The stage-plays that had been shown during the Festival included seven adaptations, one translation and ten original dramas.

Since 1940, the most of the productions for 'the Sinhala theatre for the educated 'were realistic dramas confining themselves to humorous taste. However, following the production of "Maname" in 1956, dramas with songs, music and dance producing diverse emotions and tastes were staged. The view was spread that a Sri Lankan tradition of drama could only be evolved through the production of 'stylist' and 'semi-stylist' dramas.

After 1956, any realistic drama though, conveys diverse zests, had not been considered. However, by 1962, once again realistic dramas came to the fore. These realistic dramas were different in themes to their predecessors. They dealt with complexities in life in contemporary society.

After 1962, Sugathapala de Silva made a considerable contribution to popularise this type of drama in the Sinhala theatre. However, it is noteworthy to look into the means and methods that he employed to achieve his objectives.

Sugathapala de Silva produced three realistic stage-plays; "Bordingkarayo", "Tattu Geval" and "Harima Badu Hayak". "Harima Badu Hayak" (1965) was an important realistic drama in Sinhala theatre after the production of "Kapuwa Kapothi" in 1945. (An adaptation of Gogol's Marriage was produced by Prof. Ludowyk and the Sinhalese adaptation was done by Prof. Sarachchandra and two others. This was the most popular Western type of realistic play produced by the University upto 1956.) The drama strongly reflected on Sugathapala de Silva's talents as a producer and a playwright as well as his weaknesses. He showed remarkable skills in realistic drama that most of the realistic drama producers failed to come out with.

Actor sat behind the audience hammering on to a log, six characters tapped on the auditorium door and entered the stage through the audience, addressing the audience, light up and light down on the stage, raising and pulling down the curtain , a sound of a shot were some of the techniques used to attract the attention of the audience.

These techniques were new to the Sinhalese theatre and this is one reason for his popularity as a producer. From the utilisation of these techniques in accordance with theatrical practice, it was obvious that Sugathapala de Silva was a person with a considerable knowledge of Realistic Drama.

He also contributed as an actor. He brought forth a generation of actors into the Sinhala theatre who could fit into any role without stage fright. He trained the Sri Lankan audience who expected only humour from realistic drama, to appreciate dramas with complex themes.

However, the deep meanings in the Luigi Pirandello's (1867-1936) "Six Characters' in Search of an Author" was not found in "Harima Badu Hayak". This can be understood by comparing the two titles of the dramas.

The person who adapted Pirandello's drama to Sinhala failed to grasp the deep meanings in it. Silva, who used colloquial language and expression, has used them only, on certain instances, to convey a deep zest in the drama. There were many instances in the drama, where there were provocative emotional outbursts contrary to the prime objective of the language.

Nevertheless, the plus points superseded the contrast in "Harima Badu Hayak" ("Six Characters' in Search of an Author") and therefore, it was a noteworthy drama for many viewers. However, the very opposite befell on "Hele Nagga Don Putta" (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) which was presented to the 1966 Drama Festival.

Here the minus points superseded the pluses in the dramas and the audience should not be taken by surprise as "Hele Nagga Don Putta" (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) was set in such a way to reveal Sugathapala de Silva's weaknesses.

Among the Tennessee William's Dramas which were presented for the Festival, the "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1955) was an extremely difficult drama production without exhausting the audience as its second stage was a longer one. There is also the danger of the audience's attention drawn to some other direction as the characters of Margaret and Brick out performed against the character of "Big Daddy".

When the actor portrays 'Big Daddy' becomes not - so skillful actor, the drama cannot be staged successfully. Silva's task would have been a difficult one given the complex nature of the work at hand.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is the most appropriate title for the drama. "Hele Nagga Don Putta" is not suited for the play. It is obvious from this that Silva had taken the task easily and this was manifested throughout the production. The presentation of drama based on complexities of life in a light vein is Silva's weakness.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" on a heated roof "sounds more refine than "Hele Nagga Don Putta". Silva, in some instances in the production the original text was adapted and translated on some other instances. This has been one of the reasons for making the objective of the drama complicated.

The theme of "Hele Nagga Don Putta" is rather an unusual story. Margi (Prema Ganegoda) is craving for a child. Her husband (Wickreme Bogoda) longing for a dead friend, does not like to "live together".

She is ridiculed by her relations for want of a child of her own, while her brother-in-law (Namel Weeramuni) and his wife (Mano Sri Perera) try to claim father's properties. Margi who confronts problems behaves in the manner of a "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". Her husband suffers from an inexplicable mental condition. The rest believe that the mental condition resulted from the illegitimate affair that Margi's husband had with the dead friend.

However, it was not clear whether Silva expected to portray American life or Sri Lankan life on the Sinhala stage. It was, in fact, neither American life nor Sri Lankan life but a senseless mixture of both.

The William's Margaret and Brick are complex characters with characteristics unique to Western society. Similar characters can be found in any society. However, such characters in Sri Lankan society would behave in a different way.

Even the homosexual relationships are different to those in the Western world. Furthermore, homosexual relationships have still not been a problem in Sri Lankan society as in some complex societies in the West. It was a very rare occasion where cases of mental problems or conflict in the family resulted from homosexual relationships.

(To be continued .......)

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