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Katha Karana Violeenaya, a soul-searching play combined with music and dance will soon hit the stage at Methodist College
Understanding her strains of silence
By Marisa de Silva
The students of Methodist College, Colombo will take to the stage with Kathaa Karana Violeenaya (The Talking Violin), an original play, directed and choreographed by Namal Jayasingha, playwright cum actor of both the stage and the silver screen, on October 2, at 7 p.m. at the school auditorium. The original music score for this production has been composed by award-winning songwriter Kasun Kalhara Jayawardena.

The script has been devised through a series of workshops conducted for about 30 students by both Namal and Ruwanthie de Chickera, beginning in May this year, with the concept and eventual execution of the play being discussed at length.

Different perspectives had been thrashed out, with 30 versions of the 'play-to-be'."So, it's quite fair to say, that it was a truly collaborative effort," says Namal.

Kathaa Karana Violeenaya revolves around a school hostel, home to a diverse group of eight girls. A new student, Nethmi is admitted to the hostel and while 'breaking the ice', she comes across Kaavya who intrigues her. Her interest is based on information from the other girls that two years before Kaavya had decided not to speak anymore. Her means of communication is through her violin, with her roommates accepting her silence. Her friends believe that only those sensitive to others' feelings can understand Kaavya's means of communication. When Nethmi instantly understands Kaavya, she's accepted by all the girls, without question. Nethmi however, is persistent in her quest to discover what led to Kaavya's sudden refusal to speak.

A few days later the students are hard at work dealing with a project on 'Women characters from history they admire'. Heroines from history like Kuveni, Mona Lisa, Yashodara, Subha Therani and Soma Devi are discussed. A common thread is found running through the lives of all these heroines - at some point they have decided to remain silent. Once again, the girls focus on their friend, Kaavya. From the bits of information they each have, they attempt to imagine the possible reason for her silence. As they each come up with their versions, the lives of the women from history start to unfold.

The essence of the play is about a group of young women who try to understand the silence of women, from ancient to present times. 'The Talking Violin' is a bold and sensitive attempt by modern young women to connect with women of the past. This in turn sheds light on various issues of the present. While reflecting a serious theme, the play also portrays the playful personalities of the young students, in a mix of song, dance, dreams, jokes and soul searching.

Namal's wife Chamila Pieris is Assistant Director cum costume designer for the play. Popular artistes like Kaushalya Fernando, Uresha Ravihari, Kasun Kalhara Jayawardena, Niranjala Manjari, Kushani Sandharekha and Naomi Samudrika sing on the original soundtrack. Tickets for Kathaa Karana Violeenaya are available at the school office.

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