Arts

'Victims' addresses youth issues

by Ranga CHANDRARATHNE

The play largely a result of a vigorous process of improvisationswould reflect youth issues from their own perspectives.

Director of the play Shashi Mendis

Some of the effective dialogues and lines which the students devised during the sessions have been incorporated into the script making it an authentic experience of the students.

'Victims' will go on the boards at Lionel Wendt Theatre at 7.00 p.m. on August 1 and 2 and 26, Sunday.

Excerpts of the interview with the Director of the play Shashi Mendis

Q: How do you conceive the idea for the play?

A: At the start when we did the improvisation with the students, I had no idea of what the play was going to be about. All I knew was that it would be about youth issues and it was going to be relevant to youth. However, as we proceeded with the improvisation and different exercises, then ideas came about and I built the play upon them.

Q: It seems that you have stressed the importance of developing the stories with the participation of the children. I believe it has added an element of authenticity as children's views have been incorporated into the stories. How did it work with this drama?

A: It is important to get the participation of the children because I strongly believe in creativity. In an exercise of this nature when you are developing a play and when you are making up a play, creativity of children comes to play. So participation in terms of their creativity is very important. It is this way that this drama was made.

Q: What were the activities that you devised to generate ideas from the student groups?

A: Various activities were taken into account when developing the play. For instance, discussions, brainstorming sessions, exercises where students were asked to listen to music, imagine a character from the ideas of those songs and putting them into the shoe of that character were some of the activities done prior to the production. Once I knew what the play really was going to be about, I used to give them (children) different scenes to get into groups and act them out. I used to copy down some of the effective dialogues from those scenes. When I wrote the script, I incorporated some of these dialogues into the script. So two steps, we did all the exercises, developed the ideas and wrote down the script.

Q: 'Victim' is a play about issues of youth and different stories were developed on diverse themes. For instance, Ryan's story is a victim of his own views. Do these stories only project pessimistic outlook on life or do they offer solutions to the youth issues?

A: Well, I would not say the play is pessimistic. As the title shows we try to bring out some of the problems young people are facing today. Because we always say that the younger generation is problematic. But some times, I think we need to look at them from their point of view. 'Victims' tries to look at younger generation from their point of view and that we should understand young people.

Q: Apart from the serious subjects that the play explores, did you incorporate lighter elements such as competition to make it interesting for the children?

Scene from the play

A: Yes, it is a very serious theme and there are tragic elements to this play. At the same time, the play involves a talent competition, songs, dancing and even a mini-drama within the play; the children acting in the talent competition is another drama. I used available talents in the school. We have a lot of children who are talented in music and we also use the school band.

Q: As the playwright, are you satisfied with the response from the students as well as their participation in the making of the play 'Victim'?

A: Yes, I am really happy about the response and the participation of students. The students worked really hard in rehearsals. Some of the students, who have worked with me earlier, had taken up mature roles which are interesting to watch. In that respect, I am completely satisfied with the response.

"I am acting as Melanie. We basically started off as a workshop where we got together and acted out scenes and ideas about what the play should be. In the role of Melanie, it is quite easy to relate to because Melanie possesses. Some characteristics that I in my life possess. So, personality-wise, we are quite similar.

She is conservative and her boyfriend tries to help her to loosen up at a party which actually all goes wrong." Marliese Liyanage in her experience as Melanie in the play:

"I played the role of Sonali. She is a girl who portrays the extreme side of a girl. Her parents are separated and her father is abroad. Basically in Sonali's life, she shows how family problems have an impact on kids and how as a strong girl, she fights her way out.

Her role is contradicting to Shehan's role that is a weak character. The character Sonali does relate to me, somewhat because Sonali is a strong character and a good friend. In my personal life, I help friends and I like advising people.

Workshops were pretty good and directed by Shashi Mendis. It's a good experience.

Naadira Jumat:

"My character is Shehan. He is an emotional guy. Friends pull him up. Before the play, we had workshops and we made our own lines.

Nafeel Niyas:

The children appreciated the dedicated work by their teacher Sashi Mendis.

ADTF presents Ranganika at Edinburgh Fringe Festival

By Indeewara THILAKARATHNE

In the midst of a galaxy of ethnic traditional arts from diverse parts of the globe, Sri Lankan traditional arts too would glitter at Edinburgh Fringe Festival as Arakavila Dance and Theatre Foundation (ADTF) presents Ranganika.

Imbibed in a rich legacy of traditional dances as a source of inspiration, ADTF has taken up the task of preserving living traditions of dances for the posterity. Embarking on a long and arduous journey, ADTF has reached an important milestone with Ranganika being presented at Edinburgh.

Scene from Anabera Nonchi Kolam.

Looking at the humble beginning of the troupe and its phenomenal growth in terms of quality can be attributed to the amount of hard-work and long hours of practice on the part of the members of the troupe who are exclusively from the village of Arakavila.

The much awaited Edinburgh tour would not only mark an important milestone in the troupe but also will be a significant event for Sri Lankan arts as Sri Lanka receives unprecedented exposure to an international audience.

Humble beginnings

With its humble beginnings in the hamlet of Arakavila nestled between the towns of Ingiriya and Padukka in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, ADTF has, over the years, gathered experience and strengthened its declared objective of preserving Sri Lankan traditional forms of arts whilst promoting the splendour of village life.

At the commencement the activities of the foundation were carried out under the banner of "Diriya Daruwo" with the sole patronage of Janaki and Peter Hill since 1996. However, subsequently it was renamed as Arakavila Dance and Theatre Foundation (ADTF) in 2008. Currently the foundation is located in a one acre plot of land in Arakavila, a site of an old oil mill together with a detached residential property.

One of the significant features of the foundation is its innovative approach towards preserving traditional Sri Lankan art forms and it has incorporated a rich fusion of traditional form of arts into its extremely creative productions; Diriya Daruwo, Chalana, Fate and Ranganika.

Ranganika will be presented, for the first time, at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The emphasis is on the propagation and preserving of traditional Sri Lankan arts such as Up Country, Low Country dancing traditions and percussion instrumental recitals in their purest forms.

Stunning productions

Following its roving theatre workshop 'Diriya Daruwo', ADTF launched 'Chalana' as a fundraiser. It is an epitome of aesthetic beauty created by sheer fusion of traditions. 'Chalana' is unfolded as happenings occurred in a dancing class conducted by a traditional dancing guru. Even the actors are ushered onto the stage in the form of an act. 'Chalana' contains items made out of Kandyan, Low Country ('Kolam' with mask, 'Thovil' and rituals).

'Fate' is a short film about a destiny of a girl.

'Ranganika' is the latest production of ADTF which will be presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The performance is made up of six items derived from rich Sri Lankan traditional dances and rituals. Ranganika contains folk dance, Devil Dance, Torch Dance, a Vannama from Up Country Dance Tradition, "Vadigapatuna' from Low Country Dance and host of creations based on Kolam.

Eighteen students of ADTF make up the Ranganika troupe. Appreciably, no member of the troupe is a professional dancer. Instead they are talented children from the village of Arakavila.

"Body and Mind" is an item in Ranganika. It stresses the need of having a harmonious relationship between body and mind which is a sine qua non condition for a performer. One could acquire such a perfect harmony through rigorous exercises for body and training for the mind as if by intense meditation.

Special item on Sri Lankan percussion instruments will be another fascinating feature of the show. Percussion instruments from Up Country and Low Country traditions will be used for this recital.Among the Vannamas, "ASADRUSHA VANNAMA" will be a cynosure of the performance owing to its importance in this genre of dancing. The "ASADRUSHA VANNAMA" is a principal Vannama among 18 Vannams in the Up Country Dancing tradition. It is also a very colourful Vannama because of the costumes.

The verses originally written for "ASADRUSHA VANNAMA" intended to be chanted at the council of poet laureates gathered in the city of Kandy, have, subsequently, been converted into choreographed dance items.

Each verse graphically illustrates subtle nuances of each Vannama. The "ASADRUSHA VANNAMA" is performed to invoke the blessings of the Triple Gems and gods at the commencement of a dance recital.

Wadiga Patuna which is also a prominent item in Ranganika is a spectacular form of dance among the ritualistic dance forms such as Suniyam Yagaya, a principal dance form in the thovil which is a common type of dance in the Low Country Dance Tradition and also known as Suniyam Yagaya, Suniyam Kepilla and Menikpala Yagaya.

According to legend, the Brahmins from the land of Wadiga arrived in Sri Lanka to dispel a Suniyama, a curse by Mara, the God of Death, on Queen Menikpala on the invitation of king Mahasammata who was considered as the world's first dancer. Wadiga Patuna is a dance which recreates the arrival of Wadigas to Sri Lanka. There is another school of thinking that Wadigas could not cure the queen and they arrived in Sri Lanka for a ritual not for a Suniyam.

Anabera Nonchi Kolama (A dance evoking a sense of irony) is another important dance item in the Low Country Dance tradition. A prominent feature of Anabera Nonchi Kolama is that a complex gamut of emotions are being expressed only by means of gesticulations.

A dance to the God Dholaha or Thelemay is another colourful item which will add allure to "Ranganika". A prominent feature of this dance is the use of special colourful costumes.

Traditionally, the main dance item, in the Low Country Dance tradition, is performed in a specially constructed hut and the principal dance dedicated to the Gold Dholaha is called Thelemay. Items such as one of Sri Lankan Fusion Drums and on Village Life are also in the cultural baggage.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is one of the largest cultural carnivals of the world attended by thousands of cultural troupes from diverse parts of the globe. Thousands of cultural items are being held on a daily basis and Ranganika is staged along with five other items; A TOWN CALLED ADDIS (For more on Addis Ababa), CAPOEIRA KNIGHTS: THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL, CREOLE CHOIR OF CUBA, SAMBA SENE AND DIWAN (For more on Senegal) and THE CHURCH OF SALSA.

Further information can be obtained from the website: www.adtfsrilanka.com

A show for a good cause

V Academy to uplift modelling:

Vasana Danthanarayana's R & V Entertainment has conducted many shows both locally and abroad and created many jobs in the process. "We like to promote any type of art", said she.

And modelling is a form of art after all. She chose to improve modelling and fashion at a time when it was not taken very seriously.

That is why she started the V Academy of fashion and modelling.

"Out of 300 students who had attended the academy for three months, 12 women and 12 men will take part in a Semi Minipageant", says Vasana Danthanarayana. They competed for the Model of the Year 2008 at the BMICH on July 17. Six female and six male models will compete with the cream of last year's batch, a total of 30 contestants.

Thirty new models will take part in this year's event at the BMICH on August 1 at 6.39 p.m. A panel of judges will select the winners, 1st runner-up and second runner-up of both sexes.

The first segment of the event will include a modelling session of Sri Lankan handloomed wear, designed by Ruhunu Ransalu, Galle. Sonali Holms has designed the second segment - a session of casual wear. The designer of the third segment - evening wear - is Anusha Halpage of Bella Vita.

The chief guests of the entrance free event will be Louching Wong and Michael Wijesooriya. There will also be items by Channa and the troop as well as Himali with Sensations. The event will be attended by famous singers such as Namal Udugama, Supriya Abeysekara and Isuru Jayaratne. New dress designers will also be introduced.

Vasana Danthanarayana claims that she wants to close the academy after this year's event. "I started the academy because models in those days received such little recognition, but this has changed now.

Professional Models like Rozanne Diaz and Chulapadmendra have now come forward to provide novice models a proper training that would enable them to acquire their due recognition," she said.