Sampath-Rathna celebrate 50 plays in 30 years
View(s):Sampath Tennakone and Rathna Lalani, a couple who rendered an immense service to the Sri Lanka theatre industry for more than three decades will hold a festival of theatre with award winning and landmark plays from December 17 to 23 at 6.45 pm at the New Town Hall, Colombo 7.
Titled ‘Abhinayana’- Sampath-Ratna Ranga Bhumika, the festival will feature seven plays which won both fame and awards including the Best Direction, Best Script, Best Actor, Best Translation, Best Set, Best Music and many more.
The plays that would go on the boards are Douglas Siriwardena’s ‘Suba Sandyawak’ (1982), K.B. Herath’s ‘Mayadevi’ (1985), Jayalath Manoratne’s ‘Puthra Samagama’ (1985), Jayalath Manoratne’s ‘Guru Tharuwa’ (1996), K. B. Herath’s ‘Jaganma’ (2008), Bandula Vithanage’s ‘Antharjale’ (2011) and Jayalath Manoratne’s ‘Thalamala Pipila’ (1988).
Starring Wasantha Vittachchi, Gamini Hettarachchi, Ajith Lokuge along with Sampath and Rathna, ‘Suba Sandyawak’ will be staged on December 17 and the play is based on Jean Paul Sartre’s ‘The Respectable Prostitute’. ‘Mayadevi’ on December 18 is played by Jayalath Manoratne, Nissanka Diddeniya, Chandani Seneviratne, Janaka Kumbukge, Nilanthi Hindeniya and it is a discussion on the man who runs for power and wealth.
‘Puthra Samagama’ on December 9 is based on Prasanna Vithanage’s translation of Soviet writer Alexander Vampilov’s ‘The Elder Son’ and it is played by Jayalath Manoratne, Chandani Seneviratne, Janaka Kumbukge, Somapala Pathirage, Sarath Chandrasiri and Susil Wickremasinghe and Suneth Shantha.
‘Guru Tharuwa’ on December 20 narrated around the important role played by the literature teacher in today’s world and is being played by Jayalath Manoratne, Lal Kularatne, Dayadewa Edirisinghe, Sarath Chandrasiri, Jagath Benaragama and Giriraj Kaushalya in stellar cast. ‘Jaganma’ which won multiple awards will be staged on December 21.
‘Antharjale’ based on British playwright Ray Cooney’s comedy ‘Caught in the Net’ will be staged on December 22 and ‘Thalamala Pipila which won a number of awards will be staged on December 23.