Somalatha Subasinghe; Pioneer of children’s theatre
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Veteran actress, playwright and pioneer of children’s theatre in Sri Lanka Somalatha Subasinghe passed away last week creating a huge void in Sri Lankan theatre and cinema. Her four decades long service to theatre and arts by creating a culture of children theatre in Sri Lanka and introducing a large number of new theatre, TV and cinema artistes, playwrights and filmmakers would never be forgotten.
She acted in plays like Prof. Ediriweera Sarathchandra’s ‘Elowa Gihin Melowa Awa’ and ‘Raththaran’, Gunasena Galappaththi’s ‘Mudu Puththu’, Dayananda Gunawardena’s ‘Nari Bena’, Henry Jayasena’s ‘Diriya Mawa saha Age Daruwo’, Damma Jagoda’s ‘Wes Muhunu and Ranjith Dharmakeerthi’s ‘Cherry Uyana’ and ‘Hiru Nethi Lowa’. Some of the films in which she performed unforgettable roles were ‘Mahagedara’, ‘Madol Doowa’, ‘Viragaya’, ‘Me Mage Sandai’, ‘Sudu Kaluwara’ and ‘Siribo Aiya’.
With the aim of developing artistic taste, cheerfulness and sense playfulness among children through aesthetic experiences, Mrs Subasinghe founded Lanka Children’s and Youth Theatre Foundation (LCYTF) in 1981. Through the foundation which was also popularly known as Play House-Kotte she promoted theatre productions and performances specifically for children and youth, training of actors, and research on theatre studies. The top most institution for children’s and youth theatre productions in Sri Lanka, LCYTF has produced a repertoire of mainly musical theatre for children and youth and mainstream art theatre productions and performed them in the island as well as abroad. Mrs. Subasinghe designed the programme giving the children an opportunity to learn the basics of enjoying and appreciating music, free movement, dance and rhythmic movement, acting and language, art, singing, puppetry and handwork.
Through Play House Kotte, Mrs. Subasinghe created welknown children’s plays like ‘Hima Kumari’, ‘Gamarala Diwya Loke Giya Heti’, ‘Thoppi Welenda’ and ‘Walas Pawula’. These plays were influenced by world renowned children stories. Mrs. Subasinghe was also an economics graduate from the University of Peradeniya and she had taught as an economics teacher in a number of schools.