Award winning theatre and cinema actor, Janaka Kumbukage is ready to release his maiden theatrical direction ‘Sulanga Mata Katha Karai’, a stage play with a different content and a presentation.
Awarded as the Best Actor in the theatre segment at the State Drama Festival and Best Actor at the Presidential Award for the best actor in the cinema, both in the year 2000, Janaka is hopeful that his new attempt to bring the theatre-lovers back to the theatre houses would be a success.
The play is a joint effort by Kumudumalee Herath who plays the role of the producer and Ashoka Athawudahetti the co-producer and Kumbukage himself.
‘Attractive presentation is something that lacked in some of our stage plays’ says Janaka who started his career in the stage and worked under different directors including veteran and well-known playwrights like Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Somalatha Subasinghe, Ashoka Handagamathe, Athula Peiris, Sunil Chandrasiri and Rajitha Dissanayake.
‘Sulanga Mata Kathakari’ is to introduce some of the effects of the cinema and television to the stage in a novel presentation.
The play scripted by Janaka himself is to set in the contemporary society in the backdrop of war, social, political and economical upheavals.
The play is to lead people who live in an unfriendly environment to love his fellow beings, Janaka said adding that the play was based on the experiences and the happening that he came across throughout over the years prompted him to write the play.
‘Sulanga Mata Katha Karai’ will consist of a limited cast including Chandani Seneviratne, Wasantha Vittachchi, a child actor and Janaka himself.
‘However we had to spend a comparatively a large budget for the production and if not for Kumudumalee Herath we would not have been able to realize the dream of this play’ Janaka who was grateful to his producer said.
Questioned as to what made him to take the risk of directing a high budgeted play at a time when there are no crowd for stage plays, Janaka responded “I believe that the stage is the most powerful and creative place in the performing art. In some developed countries some plays are being staged continuously in one theatre for two years and people go over and over again to see them.”
‘I have taken up this challenge to pack the theatres with this play’ the talented artiste said in a bold note.
The play is scheduled to be staged on July 25 and 26 at Lumbini Theatre, Colombo. |
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