Asoka Randeniye, in Daily News, 26 March 20i4
Pix by Roshan Pilipana
No theatre- lover worth his salt would need an introduction to the great actor/director Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka. Ever the voice who questions the accepted, the safe and the prescribed, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is the director of five thought- provoking, discussion- inducing political plays: Ekadipathi (The Dictator) in 1976, Makarakshaya (The Dragon) in 1985, Dhawala Beeshana (Men Without Shadows) in 1988, Yakshagamanaya (Resistible Rise of Arturo) in 1994 and Trojan Kanthavo (Trojan Women) in 1999.
In January, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka and the cast and crew of Trojan Kanthavo participated in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (International Theatre Festival) in New Delhi for the third year running. Previously, he applied for and was selected by the festival committee to perform Makarakshaya in 2012 and Dhawala Beeshana in 2013. This year, he was among the six countries which were represented at the festival. Daily News caught up with the maestro at the Trikone Cultural Foundation in Rajagiriya, which documents for posterity the Sinhala and Tamil dramas and other art forms hidden within our country.
Q: How did you come to take part at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav?
A: The National School of Drama in India and the Indian government organize this non- competitive festival every year. Various countries submit applications, along with a DVD of the play. In 2012 Makarakshaya was chosen from Sri Lanka.
Q: Was there a reason to choose this particular play when you initially directed it?
A: Yes, I chose it because of the war. 1999 was a pivotal year in our war. This is not a criticism of our war; it is a pacifist’s attempt to promote deeper debate about war itself. We showed it here and we also took it to Jaffna, Batticalo, Vavuniya and Trincomalee during the ceasefire. These were areas in the thick of the fighting. We got an overwhelming response from them, there were very interesting discussions.
Q: Last week you took Dhawala Bheeshana to Jaffna. In 2002, you showed them Trojan Kanthavo. Did you see a difference in the audience then and now?
A: In 2002, they thought Sinhala was a military language. We succeeded in tearing away that misconception. They understood that this was a language of a people and a culture. Art can do many things that an individual cannot. Art can pave the way for everyone to live in harmony. In truth I saw no difference. By rights, that society should have been destroyed by the war. But their artistic sensibilities are still alive. They can question their lives and talk about it. War kills discipline; but discipline reigned in that audience.
Q: What do you think about the contemporary Sri Lankan theatre? Will we see another Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka production in the future?
A: Directing a new play is an exhausting process, so I doubt I will be doing anything new soon. I’m more involved in continuing my five plays. As for contemporary Sri Lankan theatre, it is my opinion that there is no such thing. Instead there are vultures who exploit the audience for profit. There is no script— they play the devil on stage and make people laugh. We did not make people laugh; we made them think. I have tried to carry our great theatre tradition forward. That has always been my working principle, as an actor and a director.
Q: Recently it seems like more people are investing their time in the theatre. What is your opinion?
A: I highly doubt it. The same audience who went to see Maname and Sinhabahu now trip to see half- baked comedy acts that have no real depth. What does that say about us as an audience? Unfortunately it seems like true appreciation keeps dying year by year.
The great tradition of theatre can only be sustained by an educated audience, and we are sadly lacking that. I must add that there is a belief in our society that Sri Lankan theatre is in a golden age. That is a myth. I challenge anyone to contest this. In the old days we put an inch long advertisement in the paper; now we need 6000 posters. People see this and think we’re having a theatre renaissance. Of course, this is mostly the fault of our hectic lifestyles. People have no time to relax and appreciate a play. They are helpless in the face of our economy.
Q: How do you view the upcoming generation of actors and actresses and their connection to the stage?
A: There is definitely an increasing tendency— so that they can get a TV spot. The trend is to get their 15- seconds worth of fame. Then they get into politics. There is no dedication to their craft. Experienced actors and actresses have no place in today’s society. All I can say is: stop fooling around. Take your craft seriously and contribute to something worthwhile that will leave behind a space in which people can engage in debate.
Q: What is your opinion on the lack of properly- equipped theatres outside of Colombo? Does this have an impact on a production?
A: Sadly, apart from the Lionel Wendt theatre perhaps, there is no proper theatre in Sri Lanka. The Lionel Wendt is the only theatre that corresponds to the proper specifications and theatre conventions in Sri Lanka. No other person has been able to duplicate the perfection of that place. Always there is a flaw. This might not cause a centralization of theatre culture (in Colombo) per se, but it certainly contributes.
Q: How did you become involved in Art?
A: This doesn’t have a traditional answer, I’m afraid. I had an unloved, quite un- magical childhood so I went in search of love in other places. I found my answer in theatre. I have found that art can bring you friends where you previously had none. I hope that I have left a legacy for humankind that will give them some food for thought.
Q: What do you think about the contemporary Sri Lankan theatre? Will we see another Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka production in the future?
A: Directing a new play is an exhausting process, so I doubt I will be doing anything new soon. I’m more involved in continuing my five plays. As for contemporary Sri Lankan theatre, it is my opinion that there is no such thing. Instead there are vultures who exploit the audience for profit. There is no script— they play the devil on stage and make people laugh. We did not make people laugh; we made them think. I have tried to carry our great theatre tradition forward. That has always been my working principle, as an actor and a director.
Q: Recently it seems like more people are investing their time in the theatre. What is your opinion?
A: I highly doubt it. The same audience who went to see Maname and Sinhabahu now trip to see half- baked comedy acts that have no real depth. What does that say about us as an audience? Unfortunately it seems like true appreciation keeps dying year by year.
The great tradition of theatre can only be sustained by an educated audience, and we are sadly lacking that. I must add that there is a belief in our society that Sri Lankan theatre is in a golden age. That is a myth. I challenge anyone to contest this. In the old days we put an inch long advertisement in the paper; now we need 6000 posters. People see this and think we’re having a theatre renaissance. Of course, this is mostly the fault of our hectic lifestyles. People have no time to relax and appreciate a play. They are helpless in the face of our economy.
Q: How do you view the upcoming generation of actors and actresses and their connection to the stage?
A: There is definitely an increasing tendency— so that they can get a TV spot. The trend is to get their 15- seconds worth of fame. Then they get into politics. There is no dedication to their craft. Experienced actors and actresses have no place in today’s society. All I can say is: stop fooling around. Take your craft seriously and contribute to something worthwhile that will leave behind a space in which people can engage in debate.
Q: What is your opinion on the lack of properly- equipped theatres outside of Colombo? Does this have an impact on a production?
A: Sadly, apart from the Lionel Wendt theatre perhaps, there is no proper theatre in Sri Lanka. The Lionel Wendt is the only theatre that corresponds to the proper specifications and theatre conventions in Sri Lanka. No other person has been able to duplicate the perfection of that place. Always there is a flaw. This might not cause a centralization of theatre culture (in Colombo) per se, but it certainly contributes.
Q: How did you become involved in Art?
A: This doesn’t have a traditional answer, I’m afraid. I had an unloved, quite un- magical childhood so I went in search of love in other places. I found my answer in theatre. I have found that art can bring you friends where you previously had none. I hope that I have left a legacy for humankind that will give them some food for thought.
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– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
We are given accommodation, they provide sets (after we send them the specifications) and participants are paid a stipend. But not the air fare; so we had to go begging to different individuals to ask for sponsorships. Around 38 individuals contributed to send 38 cast and crew members to India. When Dhawala Bheeshana was selected in 2013, I asked for the support of the Ministry of Culture and Arts, but was refused. So we had to go back to the people who’d helped us before. This year I submitted Trojan Kanthavo and it was selected. Again I asked the Ministry but they had a limited budget so I contacted the President. Finally the President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga provided us with funds from the President’s Fund for 30 tickets.
Q: Did you have any expectations of the audience in India? How did they respond?
A: There was a large audience and quite a dialogue sprang up afterwards, especially during the ‘Meet the Directors’ forum afterwards. I was gratified to find that they liked it. There were many questions about its previous performances, our experiences— good, bad and horrific— and many opinions on how and why a 2000-year-old play is still relevant. I recently met a professor from the University of Jaffna who attended the festival. He had met a Norwegian director who thought Trojan Kanthavo was the best on the stage.
Q: Festivals like these increase visibility for Sri Lanka and our artistic capability. How can this be improved?
A: I would ask that the government initiate a standardized process to facilitate local artists to take their creations to the international forum. Otherwise they become beggars; I’ve been through that experience three times now. A cricketer is paid a fantastic sum by companies to represent their country; an artist is not. If the Cultural Ministry can do something about this, it would be an encouragement to future artists.
Q: What is your conceptualization and interpretation of Trojan Kanthavo?
A: War is war, wherever it appears. The military machinery drives that war. In the play I present the military in a modernist conceptualization. This is to show that the military is the military, regardless of time and both the Greek and modern soldier simply follow orders. That’s the military culture. It is not our army. Or anyone’s army. Thus, a questioning arises from the play and it is these that make up the creative art. And creative art propel thought in society.
Q: Was there a reason to choose this particular play when you initially directed it?
A: Yes, I chose it because of the war. 1999 was a pivotal year in our war. This is not a criticism of our war; it is a pacifist’s attempt to promote deeper debate about war itself. We showed it here and we also took it to Jaffna, Batticalo, Vavuniya and Trincomalee during the ceasefire. These were areas in the thick of the fighting. We got an overwhelming response from them, there were very interesting discussions.
Q: Last week you took Dhawala Bheeshana to Jaffna. In 2002, you showed them Trojan Kanthavo. Did you see a difference in the audience then and now?
A: In 2002, they thought Sinhala was a military language. We succeeded in tearing away that misconception. They understood that this was a language of a people and a culture. Art can do many things that an individual cannot. Art can pave the way for everyone to live in harmony. In truth I saw no difference. By rights, that society should have been destroyed by the war. But their artistic sensibilities are still alive. They can question their lives and talk about it. War kills discipline; but discipline reigned in that audience.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
We are given accommodation, they provide sets (after we send them the specifications) and participants are paid a stipend. But not the air fare; so we had to go begging to different individuals to ask for sponsorships. Around 38 individuals contributed to send 38 cast and crew members to India. When Dhawala Bheeshana was selected in 2013, I asked for the support of the Ministry of Culture and Arts, but was refused. So we had to go back to the people who’d helped us before. This year I submitted Trojan Kanthavo and it was selected. Again I asked the Ministry but they had a limited budget so I contacted the President. Finally the President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga provided us with funds from the President’s Fund for 30 tickets.
Q: Did you have any expectations of the audience in India? How did they respond?
A: There was a large audience and quite a dialogue sprang up afterwards, especially during the ‘Meet the Directors’ forum afterwards. I was gratified to find that they liked it. There were many questions about its previous performances, our experiences— good, bad and horrific— and many opinions on how and why a 2000-year-old play is still relevant. I recently met a professor from the University of Jaffna who attended the festival. He had met a Norwegian director who thought Trojan Kanthavo was the best on the stage.
Q: Festivals like these increase visibility for Sri Lanka and our artistic capability. How can this be improved?
A: I would ask that the government initiate a standardized process to facilitate local artists to take their creations to the international forum. Otherwise they become beggars; I’ve been through that experience three times now. A cricketer is paid a fantastic sum by companies to represent their country; an artist is not. If the Cultural Ministry can do something about this, it would be an encouragement to future artists.
Q: What is your conceptualization and interpretation of Trojan Kanthavo?
A: War is war, wherever it appears. The military machinery drives that war. In the play I present the military in a modernist conceptualization. This is to show that the military is the military, regardless of time and both the Greek and modern soldier simply follow orders. That’s the military culture. It is not our army. Or anyone’s army. Thus, a questioning arises from the play and it is these that make up the creative art. And creative art propel thought in society.
Q: Was there a reason to choose this particular play when you initially directed it?
A: Yes, I chose it because of the war. 1999 was a pivotal year in our war. This is not a criticism of our war; it is a pacifist’s attempt to promote deeper debate about war itself. We showed it here and we also took it to Jaffna, Batticalo, Vavuniya and Trincomalee during the ceasefire. These were areas in the thick of the fighting. We got an overwhelming response from them, there were very interesting discussions.
Q: Last week you took Dhawala Bheeshana to Jaffna. In 2002, you showed them Trojan Kanthavo. Did you see a difference in the audience then and now?
A: In 2002, they thought Sinhala was a military language. We succeeded in tearing away that misconception. They understood that this was a language of a people and a culture. Art can do many things that an individual cannot. Art can pave the way for everyone to live in harmony. In truth I saw no difference. By rights, that society should have been destroyed by the war. But their artistic sensibilities are still alive. They can question their lives and talk about it. War kills discipline; but discipline reigned in that audience.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
We are given accommodation, they provide sets (after we send them the specifications) and participants are paid a stipend. But not the air fare; so we had to go begging to different individuals to ask for sponsorships. Around 38 individuals contributed to send 38 cast and crew members to India. When Dhawala Bheeshana was selected in 2013, I asked for the support of the Ministry of Culture and Arts, but was refused. So we had to go back to the people who’d helped us before. This year I submitted Trojan Kanthavo and it was selected. Again I asked the Ministry but they had a limited budget so I contacted the President. Finally the President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga provided us with funds from the President’s Fund for 30 tickets.
Q: Did you have any expectations of the audience in India? How did they respond?
A: There was a large audience and quite a dialogue sprang up afterwards, especially during the ‘Meet the Directors’ forum afterwards. I was gratified to find that they liked it. There were many questions about its previous performances, our experiences— good, bad and horrific— and many opinions on how and why a 2000-year-old play is still relevant. I recently met a professor from the University of Jaffna who attended the festival. He had met a Norwegian director who thought Trojan Kanthavo was the best on the stage.
Q: Festivals like these increase visibility for Sri Lanka and our artistic capability. How can this be improved?
A: I would ask that the government initiate a standardized process to facilitate local artists to take their creations to the international forum. Otherwise they become beggars; I’ve been through that experience three times now. A cricketer is paid a fantastic sum by companies to represent their country; an artist is not. If the Cultural Ministry can do something about this, it would be an encouragement to future artists.
Q: What is your conceptualization and interpretation of Trojan Kanthavo?
A: War is war, wherever it appears. The military machinery drives that war. In the play I present the military in a modernist conceptualization. This is to show that the military is the military, regardless of time and both the Greek and modern soldier simply follow orders. That’s the military culture. It is not our army. Or anyone’s army. Thus, a questioning arises from the play and it is these that make up the creative art. And creative art propel thought in society.
Q: Was there a reason to choose this particular play when you initially directed it?
A: Yes, I chose it because of the war. 1999 was a pivotal year in our war. This is not a criticism of our war; it is a pacifist’s attempt to promote deeper debate about war itself. We showed it here and we also took it to Jaffna, Batticalo, Vavuniya and Trincomalee during the ceasefire. These were areas in the thick of the fighting. We got an overwhelming response from them, there were very interesting discussions.
Q: Last week you took Dhawala Bheeshana to Jaffna. In 2002, you showed them Trojan Kanthavo. Did you see a difference in the audience then and now?
A: In 2002, they thought Sinhala was a military language. We succeeded in tearing away that misconception. They understood that this was a language of a people and a culture. Art can do many things that an individual cannot. Art can pave the way for everyone to live in harmony. In truth I saw no difference. By rights, that society should have been destroyed by the war. But their artistic sensibilities are still alive. They can question their lives and talk about it. War kills discipline; but discipline reigned in that audience.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
o theatre- lover worth his salt would need an introduction to the great actor/director Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka. Ever the voice who questions the accepted, the safe and the prescribed, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is the director of five thought- provoking, discussion- inducing political plays: Ekadipathi (The Dictator) in 1976, Makarakshaya (The Dragon) in 1985, Dhawala Beeshana (Men Without Shadows) in 1988, Yakshagamanaya (Resistible Rise of Arturo) in 1994 and Trojan Kanthavo (Trojan Women) in 1999.
In January, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka and the cast and crew of Trojan Kanthavo participated in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (International Theatre Festival) in New Delhi for the third year running. Previously, he applied for and was selected by the festival committee to perform Makarakshaya in 2012 and Dhawala Beeshana in 2013. This year, he was among the six countries which were represented at the festival. Daily News caught up with the maestro at the Trikone Cultural Foundation in Rajagiriya, which documents for posterity the Sinhala and Tamil dramas and other art forms hidden within our country.
Q: How did you come to take part at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav?
A: The National School of Drama in India and the Indian government organize this non- competitive festival every year. Various countries submit applications, along with a DVD of the play. In 2012 Makarakshaya was chosen from Sri Lanka.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
o theatre- lover worth his salt would need an introduction to the great actor/director Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka. Ever the voice who questions the accepted, the safe and the prescribed, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is the director of five thought- provoking, discussion- inducing political plays: Ekadipathi (The Dictator) in 1976, Makarakshaya (The Dragon) in 1985, Dhawala Beeshana (Men Without Shadows) in 1988, Yakshagamanaya (Resistible Rise of Arturo) in 1994 and Trojan Kanthavo (Trojan Women) in 1999.
In January, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka and the cast and crew of Trojan Kanthavo participated in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (International Theatre Festival) in New Delhi for the third year running. Previously, he applied for and was selected by the festival committee to perform Makarakshaya in 2012 and Dhawala Beeshana in 2013. This year, he was among the six countries which were represented at the festival. Daily News caught up with the maestro at the Trikone Cultural Foundation in Rajagiriya, which documents for posterity the Sinhala and Tamil dramas and other art forms hidden within our country.
Q: How did you come to take part at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav?
A: The National School of Drama in India and the Indian government organize this non- competitive festival every year. Various countries submit applications, along with a DVD of the play. In 2012 Makarakshaya was chosen from Sri Lanka.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
o theatre- lover worth his salt would need an introduction to the great actor/director Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka. Ever the voice who questions the accepted, the safe and the prescribed, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is the director of five thought- provoking, discussion- inducing political plays: Ekadipathi (The Dictator) in 1976, Makarakshaya (The Dragon) in 1985, Dhawala Beeshana (Men Without Shadows) in 1988, Yakshagamanaya (Resistible Rise of Arturo) in 1994 and Trojan Kanthavo (Trojan Women) in 1999.
In January, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka and the cast and crew of Trojan Kanthavo participated in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (International Theatre Festival) in New Delhi for the third year running. Previously, he applied for and was selected by the festival committee to perform Makarakshaya in 2012 and Dhawala Beeshana in 2013. This year, he was among the six countries which were represented at the festival. Daily News caught up with the maestro at the Trikone Cultural Foundation in Rajagiriya, which documents for posterity the Sinhala and Tamil dramas and other art forms hidden within our country.
Q: How did you come to take part at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav?
A: The National School of Drama in India and the Indian government organize this non- competitive festival every year. Various countries submit applications, along with a DVD of the play. In 2012 Makarakshaya was chosen from Sri Lanka.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
o theatre- lover worth his salt would need an introduction to the great actor/director Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka. Ever the voice who questions the accepted, the safe and the prescribed, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is the director of five thought- provoking, discussion- inducing political plays: Ekadipathi (The Dictator) in 1976, Makarakshaya (The Dragon) in 1985, Dhawala Beeshana (Men Without Shadows) in 1988, Yakshagamanaya (Resistible Rise of Arturo) in 1994 and Trojan Kanthavo (Trojan Women) in 1999.
In January, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka and the cast and crew of Trojan Kanthavo participated in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (International Theatre Festival) in New Delhi for the third year running. Previously, he applied for and was selected by the festival committee to perform Makarakshaya in 2012 and Dhawala Beeshana in 2013. This year, he was among the six countries which were represented at the festival. Daily News caught up with the maestro at the Trikone Cultural Foundation in Rajagiriya, which documents for posterity the Sinhala and Tamil dramas and other art forms hidden within our country.
Q: How did you come to take part at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav?
A: The National School of Drama in India and the Indian government organize this non- competitive festival every year. Various countries submit applications, along with a DVD of the play. In 2012 Makarakshaya was chosen from Sri Lanka.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
o theatre- lover worth his salt would need an introduction to the great actor/director Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka. Ever the voice who questions the accepted, the safe and the prescribed, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is the director of five thought- provoking, discussion- inducing political plays: Ekadipathi (The Dictator) in 1976, Makarakshaya (The Dragon) in 1985, Dhawala Beeshana (Men Without Shadows) in 1988, Yakshagamanaya (Resistible Rise of Arturo) in 1994 and Trojan Kanthavo (Trojan Women) in 1999.
In January, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka and the cast and crew of Trojan Kanthavo participated in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (International Theatre Festival) in New Delhi for the third year running. Previously, he applied for and was selected by the festival committee to perform Makarakshaya in 2012 and Dhawala Beeshana in 2013. This year, he was among the six countries which were represented at the festival. Daily News caught up with the maestro at the Trikone Cultural Foundation in Rajagiriya, which documents for posterity the Sinhala and Tamil dramas and other art forms hidden within our country.
Q: How did you come to take part at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav?
A: The National School of Drama in India and the Indian government organize this non- competitive festival every year. Various countries submit applications, along with a DVD of the play. In 2012 Makarakshaya was chosen from Sri Lanka.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
o theatre- lover worth his salt would need an introduction to the great actor/director Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka. Ever the voice who questions the accepted, the safe and the prescribed, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is the director of five thought- provoking, discussion- inducing political plays: Ekadipathi (The Dictator) in 1976, Makarakshaya (The Dragon) in 1985, Dhawala Beeshana (Men Without Shadows) in 1988, Yakshagamanaya (Resistible Rise of Arturo) in 1994 and Trojan Kanthavo (Trojan Women) in 1999.
In January, Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka and the cast and crew of Trojan Kanthavo participated in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav (International Theatre Festival) in New Delhi for the third year running. Previously, he applied for and was selected by the festival committee to perform Makarakshaya in 2012 and Dhawala Beeshana in 2013. This year, he was among the six countries which were represented at the festival. Daily News caught up with the maestro at the Trikone Cultural Foundation in Rajagiriya, which documents for posterity the Sinhala and Tamil dramas and other art forms hidden within our country.
Q: How did you come to take part at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav?
A: The National School of Drama in India and the Indian government organize this non- competitive festival every year. Various countries submit applications, along with a DVD of the play. In 2012 Makarakshaya was chosen from Sri Lanka.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/yes-drama-un-divides#sthash.EWjBhZMO.dpuf
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