Category Archives: theatre world

February 28, 2024 · 12:20 am

Legacy of an Artist and Musician … George de Niese & His Descendants

Premila Thurairatnam …. Review of a presentation at the meeting of CSA (Melbourne Chapter) held on Sunday 12th Nov 2023 by Alan de Niese … with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

Melburnians gathered at Ashwood Hall on a beautiful spring day to listen to 3MBS presenter of ‘Wednesday Night at the Opera’ Alan de Niese. In his natural, engaging, manner he related his ancestors’ history, in particular, of George de Niese who was a well-known painter and musician in Ceylon. Alan’s Dutch ancestry dates back to 1730 when Benjamin de Niese was born. He was a soldier with the Dutch East India Company and a Scriba of the Land Court of Jaffna. George de Niese (1884–1954) was his great-great-great grandson making him the sixth generation to be born and live in Jaffna. His father James was a recognised artist in Jaffna. He was also a jack-of-all-trades who was known to be a good tailor and cobbler.

   George de Niese — a self-portrait in 1944

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February 18, 2024 · 7:19 pm

Appreciation: Professor Yasmine Gooneratne

Devika Brendon, in The Sunday Times, 18 February 2024

‘And gladly would she learn, and gladly teach’

 My mother, Yasmine Gooneratne, passed away on Thursday night this week. She was 88 years old.

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February 12, 2024 · 12:13 pm

‘Made’ in Australia: The Journal SOUTH ASIA

SEE … https://southasianstudies.org.au/journal/

   

South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies ranks as the leading academic journal in South Asian studies. It provides a forum for scholarly research, comment and discussion on the history, society, economy, culture and international relations of the South Asian region, drawing on a range of disciplines from the humanities and social sciences. South Asia publishes cutting edge, innovative, conceptually interesting, original case studies and new research, which shape and lead debates in the field.

SOUTH ASIA-Journal

 Professor Kama Maclean: a key figure in the history of the journal

 

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January 11, 2024 · 12:40 am

A Deft Young Barmaid !! ….. Do Not ….

Sent to Thuppahi by Mervyn Weerasooriya of St. Aloysius and the south of Lanka 

AFTER absorbing ALL Her Dextrous Operations, Add or Send A Comment That is Funny ….. Amusing ….. Pertinent …. OR … !!!  with your NAME on the Tag.

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January 1, 2024 · 3:31 pm

JLK Van Dort’s Vibrant 19th Century Sketches of British Ceylon

Ismeth Raheem, in  the Sunday Times, 24 December 2023, where the title reads “A Christmas sketch among the many 19th century social events captured by J.L.K. Van Dort”  . … An Item conveyed to me by David Sansoni of Sydney  and now sibject to my=highlighting emphasis (Editor, Thuppahi)

J.L.K. Van Dort who flourished in the latter half of the 19th century in Sri Lanka could well be described as the ‘Hogarth of Ceylon’. He was undoubtedly the best-known painter and illustrator working in the country at the time. From 1850 up till to his death in 1896, he recorded almost every social event of importance with his deft quick sketches, including religious festivals like Christmas.

 

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December 6, 2023 · 7:48 pm

Hai Hoyi Christmas in Sri Lanka

Sent by CHARLES SCHOKMAN  …. holidaying now in Sri Lanka … early December 2023

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November 29, 2023 · 8:49 pm

High-Profile Burghers & Other Exotic Personnel in Olde Ceylon

Rodney Vandergert, whose title reads thus: “Random Musings of A Senile Mind,”.… an article which appeared on web on 4th March 2006 at https://kermeey.blogspot.com/2006/03/random-musings-of-senile-mind.html …… reproduced with selective highlights in this version … & brought to my attention by Charles Schokman of Australia

“Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven” Wordsworth: Preludes

In the Nineteen Forties and early Fifties, Bambalawatte was the centre of the universe. It was where all the meaningful action took place and where the principal actors were mainly Burghers and a group of expatriates drawn from half a dozen nationalities.

This was brought most forcibly to my mind after reading the recent obituaries which appeared in the local press – one to Zoe Jayatilleke by Tita Nathanielsz; the other to David Gladwin Loos , C.C.S.. by Bradman Weerakoon.                                                             

Rodney Jonklaas, Mike wilson  & Arthur c. Clarke at seaside in Ceylon 1950s

 

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September 26, 2023 · 9:36 pm

Asoka Handagama’s “Alborada” penetrates Chile

Eda Cleary, in Sunday Observer, 24 September 2023.…  with highlighting imposed by the Editor, Thuppahi

The film Alborada by director Asoka Handagama was premiered in Chile recently with the Director of the Film School of the University of Valparaiso, film professor Rodrigo Cepeda, inviting academics, students and interested people to see the film.

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August 26, 2023 · 9:45 pm

Influences in the Characterisation of the Princess in MANAME

Ernest Macintyre, being an article entitled “The Growth of a Tragic Princess”…. published in The Ceylankan, Journal 104, Vol 26/3, August 2023 MANAME

Hemamali Gunasinghe as Princess Maname in 1956

Sometimes desultory, at a passing social phenomenon in early Peradeniya that was the Japanese Noh theatre, a powerful and proximate influence on the creation of Maname and Ediriweera Sarachchandra’s sub- sequent major plays. In essentials, Noh theatre shares a good deal with Sanskrit theatre, but the latter is extinct. The texts of the Sanskrit plays do exist, but these alone were insufficient to instruct and inspire meaningful theatrical innovation.

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August 6, 2023 · 12:15 am

In Appreciation of Jayantha Dhanapala

Prasad Kariyawasam: an article entitled “Remembering Jayantha Dhanapala (1938-2023)” …….. presented in a booklet entitled  “Hanthana Night” produced by University of Peradeniya Western Australia Chapter, 2023, pp. 50-52.

“For those who had the good fortune of knowing and working with him, Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapla, was the quintessential diplomat, trustworthy colleague, all rounder par excellence and most importantly, a humanitarian to the core. His early life was shaped by two great educational institutions of international repute during his time – Trinity College Kandy and the University of Peradeniya.

Ambassador Dhanapala at the 40 nation Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in 1984 … with Prasad Kariyawasam standing behind him

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