Cultural Diary

Three 'Best Plays'

Apahu Herenna Behe'(No Return)

Weeraya Menla-(The Hero is Dead)

'Sihina Horu Arang'(Dreams Robbed)

A festival of three award winning plays by renowned dramatist Rajitha Dissanayake will be held at the Lionel Wendt theatre Colombo 07 on August 5, 6 and 7, at 7.00 pm.

The festival begins with 'Apahu Herenna Behe'(No Return) on August 5 , followed by 'Sihina Horu Arang'(Dreams Robbed) (6) and wraps up with -Weeraya Menla-(The Hero is Dead) on the final day (7). The most notable aspect about this festival is that all three featured plays have won the most prestigious 'Best Play' award at National Drama festivals.

Apahu herenna Behe won awards for Best Play, Best Director, Best-Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Stage Management at the 2009 National Drama festival. Weeraya Merila won five National Drama Festival Awards in 2002, including Best Play, Best Script and Best Director. In 2006 Sihina Horu Arang' won National Drama Festival awards for Best Original Play, Best Script and Best Actress.

The plays have toured extensively in Sri Lanka and overseas.

Over the years, these three plays have been critically acclaimed for both their social and entertainment value. The dramas, which are essentially based on current socio-political themes, will feature several renowned cinema, tele-drama and stage actors.

The cast comprises W. Jayasiri, Jayani Senanayake, Gihan Femando, Priyankara Ratnayake, Dayadewa Edirisinghe, Prasad Sooriyarachchi, Dharmapriya Dias, Bimal Jayakody, Shyam Femando, Samadhi Laksiri, Anusuya Subasinghe, Sampath Jayaweera and Gihan de Chickera.

Music is by Kapila Poogalarachchi and Teja Buddhika. Set design is by Pradeeep Chandrasiri and Sujith Ratnayake, while Priyantha Dissanayake and Pnyantha_ Sin Kumara are handling the make-up. Lighting is by Ranga Samarakoon while Mahth Peins is the stage manager for the productions.

Theme song in Ru Risi Album

A song by Ajith Galappatti has been included in the Ru Risi Album by Centigrade. Music for the song was composed by Thusita Roshan of Centigrades. T.M Jayaratne and Udaya Wickremasinghe rendered their voices to the song. The song aimed at raising patriotic sentiments and extolling the beauty of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan artists at Oslo Mela festival

The popular Ethnic Drum orchestra THAA and Dancers will perform at the OSLO MELA festival to be held from August 4 to 9 in Norway.

Senior veteran drummer Ravibandu Vidyapathy ,Ratnam Ratnathurai, Ajith perera, and R.Shankar will perform live with versatile Kandyan and Bharatham Dancers Geeth De Silva and Josita Peter, who also excel in kathakali, odyssey,contemporary ,folk and srilankan koothu styles.

The performance is choreographed and produced by Kalasuri.Arunthathy.SriRanganathan, the artistic director of the music corporation.

The popular band SISU from Norway, together with Srilankan drummers will conduct workshop and demonstrations, while the dancers will perform at the festival and also conduct workshop and teach among visiting groups.

The high light of the festival will be a combined performance by the Norwegian -SISU - and SriLankan THAA -Artists , a specially composed music by Mrithanga Maestro Ganesh Anand from PRAGUE .

The music corporation project between Concerts Norway and the Norwegian Embassy has established links and interaction between sri lankan music milieu and the International music scene.

This will also provide oppurtunities to artists and students to perform and learn .

Atitaye Sodurubava
 

The 73rd exhibition of paintings entitled 'Atitaye Sodurubava' will be held on August 6,7 and 8at 175 Dipitiya road Kelaniya.

Young Soloists' concert on Aug. 7

by Mahes PERERA

Once again the talented young classical music soloists will be in the spotlight when the symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka presents the Young Soloists' Concert on August 7 at Ladies College Hall. The performance will be conducted by Manilal Weerakoon. The program will include works by Saint Saens, Schumann, arias by Dvorak, Mozart and Lehar and a Piano Concerto by Shostakovich.

Savini Chandrasinghe will be the soloist in the Cello Concerto No.1 in A Minor Op 33 which is in three movements.

Allegro non troppo, Allegretto con moto, Un peu moins vite. This concerto is recognised "for its technical demands, fine craftsmanship and creative melodic invention".

In Schumann's Piano Cencerto in A minor Op 54 the solict is Priyeshni Peiris. The work is in three movements. Allegro affettuoso, intermezzo; andantino grazioso and allegro vivace.

Dinuskha Jayawickrema - soprano will sing three well-known arias. The Symphony Orchestra has chosen Song to the Moon from Rusalka B 203 by Dvorak; the aria Deh Vieni, Non Tardar from Le Nozze di Figaro K 492 by Mozart and Lehar's aria from Giuditta, Meine Lippen sie knssen so heim.

Sasini Chandrasinghe will be the soloist in Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No.2 in F Major ap 102.