Academic Thespians’ 10th Anniversary

Academic Thespians’ Drama Association in conjunction with the Department of Drama Oriental Ballet and Contemporary Dance and Performance Factory, celebrates Academic Thespians’ 10th Anniversary Students Theatre, 2016. The festival will be held from July 20 - 26 at the Panibharatha Theatre, University of the Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo. The festival starts with an outdoor performance, Performance Factory, at the inauguration of the theatre company of the Department, and ends with Macbeth by William Shakespeare, commemorating the 400th anniversary of his life and works. This year, the festival celebrates award winning plays, dance compositions and mime performances.

Dr Saumya Liyanage, senior lecturer at the Department of Drama Oriental Ballet and Contemporary Dance, will launch his book titled, Meditations on Acting: Essays on Theory, Practice, and Performance on July 26. Dr Rachel Sweeney,

Liverpool Hope University, UK, Dr Romola Rassool, University of Kelaniya, and Mrs Ruwanthie De Chickera, Artistic Director, Stages Theatre Group, Colombo, will join in the book launch discussion.

The festival includes, Suranganak bandu puranganak, (Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Woman of Szetsuan), Seven Simions, an adaptation of Russian folk tale by second year students, Mr W or Last Days of Attanayake, final year graduation production, Ballet and Mime shows, and a short play collection. Academic Thespians invite a guest performance by Janakaraliya Theatre Ensemble titled Wenkatti Wattam, the Tamil translation of Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht, on July 25. The play is directed by veteran theatre director Parakrama Niriella and K. Rathidharan from the University of Jaffna, and funded by the UNESCO cultural program. A seminar has been organized on the play Wenkatti Wattam, scheduled to be held at the Prof. Tissa Karayawasam Experimental Theatre, Faculty of Dance and Drama, on July 26 at 10.30 am.

Academic Thespians invites all theatre lovers, practitioners and academics to attend the event and enjoy the live theatre happening at the Faculty of Dance and Drama.