Somalatha Subasinghe:

Doyen of modern theatre

By Anuradha KODAGODA

The world famous psychologist B.F. Skinners once said, "Give me a child and I'll shape him into anything".

Children are often viewed simply as smaller versions of adults.

When we think of child psychology, the first thing that comes to mind is the internal factors that influence a child's growth, such as genetics and personal characteristics.

Is that enough to build a well-balanced personality in a child, who can feel and understand the trickiness of human life and nature?

"It is very important to cultivate and sharpen our aesthetic values and skills from our childhood. Today we are in a world that is concerned about accumulating knowledge rather than gaining wisdom.

Scenes from Somalatha Subasinghe’s plays. Hima Kumariya, Punchi Apita Den Therei and Thoppi Velenda.

"That's where we all lose the concern on moulding the aesthetic skills and values within our selves which always helps create a well-balanced person with the qualities such as love, responsibility, friendship, courage, trust and social awareness which cannot be gained by knowledge," said the living theatre legend, veteran dramatist and actress, Somalatha Subhasinghe. Doesn't Skinner's saying give a meaning to Somalatha Subasinghe's endeavour during the past 53 years in the field of children's theatre to sharpen and mould the hidden aesthetic talents of our children?

"I started my professional career in theatre in the late 1950s which was Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra's era of arts.

At that time his attempt was to experiment dramatic elements through the folk rituals and tales," she said.

Her very first stage play was 'Raththaran' by Prof. Sarachchandra which was again an experimental dramatic exercise done by using Sri Lankan folk ritual 'Nenchi Kolama'. She played the main role in Gunasena Galapaththi's 'Muhudu Puththu' which was a ground breaking play in the 1960's and that marked her as a talented young actress. .

Spanish

"Though many people said 'Muhudu Puththu' was an adaptation of the Spanish dramatist Garcia Lorca's 'Yarma', in my understanding he has only been influenced by the plot and he created the story which suits the Sri Lankan atmosphere which I appreciate a lot. Before that we never had seen the realistic art form in the stage which was a novel experience for us.

To be frank, that was the character which made me fall in love with theatre and wanted to continue and commit my life".

"Simultaneously to the experimental dramatic forms introduced by Prof. Sarachchandra, Gunasena Galappaththi also created experimental dramatic forms by using international art forms which help nurture the Sri Lankan drama culture.

I too was lucky enough to get most of the main roles in these productions which helped me to develop my aesthetic skills, acting styles and learn many dramatic forms which were recognised internationally.

There I learnt how I could get in to a character deep and how to read a character vertically and horizontally by training and by experiencing the character in real life," she said.

"For me theatre is not merely something that I played for pleasure. It is a medium with a strong communication facility from where a dramatist can convey the message to the selected or even to the massive audience in an artistic manner,"

"The main influence for me to enter children's theatre came from seeing the children's plays created by W.B. Rathnayake, Bandula Jayawardhana, Gamini Gunasena and Wimal Diyasena.

In those days in socialist countries like Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Cuba they had state support especially for the children's theatre because they understood the gravity of improving the aesthetic skills and values among children for the well-being of a society.

Learning theatre is part of their education too.

I got the opportunity to attend many theatre schools, workshops, festivals organised in these countries and I gained a lot of knowledge and experiences by attending these events," she claimed.

'Thoppi Welenda' was my very first children's play which I produced in late 70s. I got influenced by one of the international folktales and I produced this play which became immensely popular at that time, and as at now almost three generations have enjoyed 'Thoppi Velenda'.

However, though the initial influences came from international folk tales for most of my children's plays, I paid much concern on creating something which was relevant to our cultural values. For example the theme song of Thoppi Velenda is based on Hanuma Vannama.

Also I brought up a discussion from the play, the way the hat seller could take his hats back without harming anyone and in a peaceful manner, which I think is an important lesson not only for children but adults too," she said.

"In the first show, I was a little nervous because it is natural that we cannot expect a six to eight-year-old child to behave nicely and watch a show which goes for about 45 minutes.

However, the response I got from the audience was unbelievable, and I must say if we can create something attractive by using simple and meaningful dramatic forms, children's theatre is something that a dramatist can get the genuine appreciation from the audience, since children would always show their true expressions,"

"In all the times in my plays, I would not use even a single activity which promotes violence which could harm anybody's feelings.

I always believe we must keep children calm as much as possible and give them confidence about their selves and their abilities and should show the ways that they can come out of a situation by using their brains without harming any one physically or emotionally," she stressed.

So far she has written and produced five children's plays namely 'Thoppi Velenda, Punchi Apata Den Therei, 'Gamarala Divyaloketa', 'Rathmalee' and 'Hima Kumariya'. Also she wrote the play 'Valas Paula' which was produced by Dr. Chandana Aluthge, her son in-law.

This month, the veteran dramatist Somalatha Subasinghe is gifting a wonderful theatre festival including three dramas namely 'Hima Kumariya' (to be staged on December 7 and 8), 'Punchi Apita Den Therei' and 'Thoppi Velenda' (December 9) during holidays at the Lionel Wendt Theatre.

Though the theatre festival is designed especially for children, it would be quite a delightful experience for adults as well.

Hima Kumariya was first performed in 1995 and now, after a break of several years and a new and vibrant cast, this much loved fairytale returns, to fill the stage with sound and colour and your child's imagination with endless wonder.

Localised

Based on the original classic - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - this play has been masterfully localised and recreated within the Sri Lankan fairy tale tradition. With a haunting and enchanting original sound track, lots of songs and dances, dark forests, timid fairies, funny dwarfs, jealous stepmothers and anxious mirrors - Hima Kumariya will entrance your child and take you back to your own childhood.

In addition to the beauty and power of the fairy tale coming alive in front of your eyes, Hima Kumariya is also a very educative and an important piece of theatre for children of our times.

Just like all of Somalatha Subasinghe's plays, Hima Kumariya is a play which presents to the young and impressionable mind, important values and lessons in life.

Subtly mixed with the action and humour on stage are invaluable lessons of love, responsibility, friendship, courage, trust and world awareness. And as we watch our characters fight their inner and outer battles, we learn these all important and simple lessons afresh.

The Festival this year is special for another reason. Somalatha Subasinghe, turns seventy-five years in 2011.

And so this festival is in honour of her commitment to Sri Lankan theatre and her contribution to the enhancement of the Sri Lankan child's imagination, for over five decades. You may have grown up with Somalatha Subasinghe's plays. So now it's time for you to introduce your children to these plays - Hima Kumariya, Thoppi Velenda and Punch Apita Den Therei. The cast of the plays consists of Mayura Kanchana, Palitha Abeyratne, Dilum Buddhika, Sulochana Weerasinghe, Dasun Pathirana, Wickrama Seneviratne, Geetha Alahakoon, Nimmi Priyadharshini and Rumali Chamathka.