Up-close and going behind the scenes
Visakha Vidyalaya : An interpretative telling of friendship with ‘Romeo and Juliet’
The Visakha cast and crew
Visakha Vidyalaya became winners after their spirited performance of Romeo and Juliet. They made a bold interpretative choice by making ‘friendship’ the main focus of the play instead of keeping with the tried and trusted theme of ‘love and loss.’ Their calculated risk paid off as the judges commended them for bringing a fresh new perspective to the play. The Visakhians were able to shed light on the different perspectives of certain characters that are more often than not overshadowed by the main plot.
In conversation with the cast it was evident that they were a very close knit group that had bonded over the process of the production. The cast comprised Rumashi Dissanayake, Sashini Mudalige, Amaya Fernando, Ithara Silva, Aishcharya Jayaweera, Vidumini Weerasekera, Sajani Dewapriya, Sharanya Abewickrama, Danuki Perera, Jinadee Gamage, Nethni Fernando, Seneja Pathirana, Senuri Siribaddana, Thenuri Siribaddana, Eisha de Silva, Siyum Thuyacontha, Dinuri Sellahewa, Hiruniyapa Abeywardena, Lewhara Lenmini de Silva, Nipuni Navodya, Thamadi Ruwanya Botheju, Siumi Abeywickrema, Celina Randeniya, Hiruni Herath, Thiloka Kurugama, Suhanya Mandis and Oshari Weerawansha.
When asked about the reason for the selection of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the response was intriguing. Celina Randeniya who is the youngest member of the cast at age 10 had a great interest in the story of Romeo and Juliet ever since she was a little girl. Her persuasion swayed the director Sashen Perera to choose the play. They chose to run the play in a very traditional theme focusing on Elizabethan England using stark tones of Red and Black throughout the play. They also said the choice to make friendship the main focus was a risky one that they committed to and believed in. Their purpose was to change the stereotypical view of the play and bring something fresh to the audience. The biggest challenge during production was to master the perfectly choreographed sword fights and beautifully executed dances with live music. With help from old girls and the untiring efforts of Sashen they were able to put on a well-rehearsed production.
St. Peter’s College Cast . Pix by Anuradha Bandara
The Visakhians walked away with a fair share of silverware bagging the awards for Best Stagecraft, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress and Overall Winner. Rumashi Dissanayake who became the best supporting actress for her role of Mercitio, was a huge variation to the character she portrayed. Her mild well-mannered nature was extremely different to the brash provocative character she acted out. Rumashi was commended by the judges saying it was a pleasure to be a part of her performance. She says while the task of playing a male role was difficult, she was able to identify herself with certain traits of her character. For her the most difficult part of the role was to master Mercutio’s uncanny laugh.
Sashini Mudalige who shared the award for best actress with Devindi Galapatti of Devi Balika Vidyalaya had a unique demeanor that really came out in her character. She played the role of Romeo in a convincing manner that won over the pathos of the audience. She was surprised that she was given the role as she joined the production late due to her A/level examination. However, she took up the task with much enthusiasm making each practice her own. Having acted in previous school productions Sashini was no stranger to playing deep challenging roles and enjoyed the task of playing a male role. She found it easy to relate to the complexity of the character and made her rendition truly personalized and a joy to watch.
Amaya Fernando who played the role of Benvolio was the glue that held the production together both on stage and off. Being the leader of the drama society and part of Visakhian productions from 2012 – 2015 her experience proved to be invaluable and infectious to the entire cast.
In conversation with Sashen an old boy of D.S. Senanyake College, an ardent theatre enthusiast with eight years worth of experience directing plays under his belt, it was clear that his profound vision to shed a differing light to the timeless play had transcended the entire cast and crew. For him the entire process of the production and the work ethic of his team he says was inspiring and made it easy for him to support the team to craft a unique performance.
Visakha Vidyalaya cast on stage.
St. Peter’s College cast in action. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
| St. Peter’s College : A modern take on ‘Julius Caesar’ The boys from St. Peter’s College were elated to bring back the trophy to their hallowed school after a lapse of 9 years adding an extra element of satisfaction to their victory. The Peterites won over the crowd with their modern rendition on a night that saw four fine productions of Julius Caesar to outshine the competition. They made their play focus on the dilemma of Brutus and how his contemporaries influenced him. They accurately capture the essence of a timeless conflict that plagues individuals in positions of power bridging the gap and making the 1000-year-old story relevant to the modern age. Through the experienced direction of Jehan Bastians and Neidra Williams the Peterites clinched the cup for 2016. The cast comprised Demintha Fonseka, Devinda de Silva, Dilshan Senevirathne, Milinda Randeniya, Devin Randeniya, Ayoob Aboosalih, Adrian Vishvanad, Sheshan Dias, Dion Weerasinghe, Kavinka Fernando, John Fernando, Aneek De Mel, Marco Dissanayake, Dyon De Hoedt, NiraviDammearachchi, Mathew Williams-Bastians, Ashenka Silva, Vinod Wijetilleke, Praveen Silva, Shavine Antony, Shuhail Razack and Abhishek Fernandez. The choice of play was unanimous for both the cast and directors relying on their strengths. Having already performed tragedies before they stuck to what they excelled in. The choice to make the theme modern was to make the play relevant and relatable. After toying with the notion to localise the play they went with a more western theme to make the play more universal. They wanted to portray the play as an anatomy of an assassination that evolved into the story of Brutus which they did quite successfully. The Peterites too walked away with three trophies on the eve of the finale, winning the award for best stagecraft along with Wesley College, the award for best supporting actor and the overall championship. Devinda de Silva won the award for best supporting actor for his complex yet intricate performance of Casca. His polished language and grand mannerisms made him a good fit for the role. When asked what was most challenging for him personally, he felt it was difficult to strike a balance between not overacting and conveying his emotion. He was advised to add an element of humor to his otherwise serious role that made him a revelation with the judges. Who felt the young actor had an innate ability of storytelling that helped him connect with each member of the audience. Despite having received the role by accident while reading lines for an absentee, Devinda truly made the role his own. The play revolved around the masterful performance of Devin Randeniya who was given the challenging role of Brutus. He magnified the conflict that Brutus was faced with making the audience acutely feel the intensity of emotions that he had to run through during those 30 minutes he was on stage. Devin says he was able to explore a variety of complex emotions that enabled him to expand his theatrical expertise. His obvious experience and acting skills supported the group in an exceptional performance. Deminda Fonseka’s driven rendition of Casius was well received. While it was difficult for him to play a manipulative character like Casius, Deminda says he eventually grew to enjoy the nature of his role and believed his character had its own motives. |