Getting inside the ‘Men Without Shadows’
The France of 1944 is grim. World War II is claiming victims by the thousands. But it has been four years since Hitler’s army marched in and the French Resistance is growing strong. Young freedom fighters are on the move, gathering information and stockpiling arms for the eventual battle that looms closer with each day. But they must be careful -capture by the Vichy forces who prowl the streets wherever they go, will spell disaster.
Bimsara Premaratne
It’s against this backdrop that Jean-Paul Sartre set Men Without Shadows, his 1946 play about five soldiers of the French Resistance captured by the enemy. When director Sashane Perera and his cast take to the Wendt with their adaptation, they will take on the strong theme of existentialism Sartre was famous for.
This is a versatile cast in every sense of the word. Gihan de Chickera, known for his role in the film Machang and in local theatre; Dominic Kellar, better known as His Excellency Chaminda Pusswedilla; Gehan Blok, most recently Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar and Bimsara Premaratne, last on stage as Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire. Then we have young actor Chalana Wijeyasuriya and Dino Corea, who had a busy year with both JCS and Cold Theatre 7’s ‘And Then There Were None’. Familiar faces Rajiv Ponweera, Chamath Arambewela and Feroze Ahamed are also back, rounding off an experienced ensemble.
“It’s not easy,” we’re told rather sternly by Gihan, following a gruelling two-hour run–through of the entire play. Having winced and shuddered through the brutal physical torture the prisoners must endure on interrogation, we have to agree. Gihan has it easy though-as Jean, leader of the rebel movement, he just might get out without a scratch. The five soldiers are captured by the Vichy forces in the hope of finding Jean’s whereabouts. What the interrogators don’t realize when they later pluck another young man off the streets is that they’ve just found the very man they were hunting for.
Gihan de Chickera
Gihan is still finding his way around the character of Jean. “He’s a complicated man,” says the actor. “Not your atypical leader.” In the little cell, thrown together with his followers and trying to connect with them, Jean confronts several emotions. Shame and guilt, knowing that they must go through brutal interrogation to keep his secret, fear of being identified and a strange sense of isolation. “The others can’t identify with him anymore, so even in such close quarters he feels alone.”
Perhaps he can be comforted by his lover, Lucie. “But she too struggles with her emotions for him at that point,” notes Bimsara, relishing the character of this complex woman. Lucie is a tough nut, with strange loyalties and an Achilles heel of a sense of pride. She shares a sense of camaraderie with her fellow prisoners but shows little tenderness-except with Jean, at first, and with her younger brother Francois (played by Chalana Wijeyasuriya).
“In Jean she sees her saviour,” says Bimsara. As a woman, she knows her fate will be different to her fellow male captives. For Lucie, this interrogation is a test of her strength. Can she survive it? More importantly, will her love for Jean survive this?
Dominic Kellar
Asking a different question of himself is Sorbier, played by Gehan Blok. In his 17th production since leaving school, Blok, is more known on the local stage for playing uncompromising characters and here he hopes to change the status quo a little with the challenging role of the nervy, occasionally unhinged Sorbier. “His question is to himself-‘am I a hero or coward?’”. “This interrogation is almost welcome to him because now he can finally answer that question.”
Among the prisoners is Canoris, played by Dino Corea and Henri, played by Chamath Arambewela. Dino a news anchor and radio personality, has also made a name for himself as a versatile actor- his character is perhaps the pillar that holds the captives together. Canoris, the oldest of the lot, is a veteran of war and knows what captivity is. “He tries to prepare the others for what they will face,” Dino explains. Canoris is the anchor in an ocean of hysteria. But will he succeed in holding everyone else together?
Rajiv Ponweera
That just might be decided by the leader of the interrogators, Landrieu. Dominic Kellar is all swagger and terrifying menace as the forces’ rather jaded commanding officer. “Landrieu has seen and been through too much,” says Dominic. “It’s come to the point where he really can’t stomach it anymore.” But can this glimmer of sympathy survive in the face of his bloodthirsty fellow interrogators Pellerin and Clochet (played by Feroze Ahamed and Rajiv Ponweera)? That’s what you’ll have to watch and find out.
Dominic is, as has been said, rather cursed by the legacy of one smarmy Chaminda Pusswedilla. “Can’t get away from it,” he laughs, it’s in his blood. But the actor is as comfortable with the dark stuff as he is with the hysterical; His portrayal of Landrieu is unhurried and confident. And in this cast of opposites from a cross section of local theatre, director Sashane Perera seems to have chosen well.
Men Without Shadows will be staged at the Lionel Wendt on February 7, 8 and 9. Tickets and box plan for the show are available at the venue.
A scene from the play. Pix by Indika Handuwala