Everyday conversations that transcend time
Sashane Perera
It was a quiet afternoon last Thursday down Park Street. There were clouds quietly looming overhead as I sat across the table from the director of ‘Lungs,’ Sashane Perera. ‘Lungs’ opens on June 23 at the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre.
“The name has nothing to do with Lungs and Duncan Macmillan has never disclosed why he named it that,” he says.
Written by Duncan Macmillan, the visceral play consists of just two characters played by Dino Corera and Tehani Chitty, and a dialogue that transcends time. It revolves around the man asking his partner about having a child.
“Through that lens, they explore the environment, political issues, social issues, family problems, their relationship status and their professional problems. These are conversations we have everyday,” Sashane says.
Sashane says he began acting at the age of 13, getting involved in the Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition with D. S. Senanayake College.
“My first play was King Lear – and I played the fool. I had to wear really tight pants and a really flowery costume,” he remarks with a grin.
He studied for a degree in business in the US; upon graduating in 2011 he returned to Sri Lanka and got involved in directing D. S. Senanayake College for Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition for five consecutive years.
Outside of the drama competition, Sashane made his debut as a director with Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Men Without Shadows” at Lionel Wendt Theatre on Feb 7, 2014. The production had a stellar cast that included Gihan De Chickera, Dominick Kellar and Gehan Blok.
Sashane said that it was a six-month struggle to acquire rights for Lungs; he fought relentlessly and finally got what he wanted. He is not an avid reader but enjoys theatre, which means if a play can hold his attention long enough to finish it, it is a winner in his eyes.
After tirelessly researching online to find the perfect play, he came across ‘Lungs’ and knew that it would be his next production. He had Tehani Chitty and Dino Corera in mind for the roles as he read the play, and was fortunate enough to have them both agree to act in it.
Sashane has chosen to stay true to the play, as opposed to making changes to suit a target audience. He’s confident that the audience would be able to relate to the play especially because the dialogue is simple and they are conversations most of us will have (or already had) at some point in our lives.
‘Lungs’ will be staged at the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre on June 23 to 26 for audiences aged 18 and above.
Tickets for the show priced at Rs. 1,200 and 800 are available at Namel Malini Punchi Theatre and www.tickets.lk.