A theatrical tie between Rwanda and Lanka
Colombo theatre lovers will soon get a unique opportunity to watch a play with a difference. “Dear Children, Sincerely…” an international theatre collaboration between Rwanda and Sri Lanka, directed by leading theatre directress Ruwanthie de Chickera, and produced by Stages Theatre Group, will hit the boards on January 29, 30 and 31 at 7.30pm at the Western Province Aesthetic Resort (opposite the Planetarium and adjoining the Royal College Gym).
Ruwanthie de Chickera
“Dear Children, Sincerely….” is a play created out of almost one years’ worth of research into the generation born in the 1930s.
This generation, born during colonial times, is remarkable in witnessing the entire history of modern Sri Lankan colonialism, independence, the insurrections, the civil war, the technological revolution and post war Sri Lanka.
They had been instrumental in creating new thinking, formulating foundations, which have influenced the course of the country.
What do they feel when they look back on their own history? What do they regret? What did they learn? How do their reflections and their journey compare with the reflections of the same generation born in Rwanda?
What can we learn from comparing the histories of these two countries as witnessed by the generation that lived through these histories?
Initiated by Stages Theatre Group in April 2015 with seed funding from the Esufally Foundation, the “Dear Children, Sincerely…” project has, up to date, conducted in-depth conversations with over 20 senior citizens in Sri Lanka and 13 in Rwanda.
This Sri Lanka-Rwandan collaboration brings into life, the thoughts, reflections and insights of the generation born in the 1930s, their memories and collective wisdom in the form of powerful storytelling.
Following the performance in Colombo, the play will be taken on a tour of India through the prestigious National School of Drama, where the production will be performed in New Delhi, Kerala and Jammu Kashmir.
Tickets for the show will be available at the venue from the 19th of January.