Ave Maria Convent takes home the trophy at the girls’ finals

By Purnima Pilapitiya

View(s):

Months of practice came down to one evening for four girls’ schools competing for the coveted title of champion at the Shakespeare Drama competition organized by the Colombo YMCA and the Rotary Club of Colombo North.

Taking on the challenging extracts from “Hamlet,” “Coriolanus” and some comedy with “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” the four girls’ schools each brought to life strong performances. They were backed by the evening’s real stars- the consistent, intricately synchronized supporting roles from chain wrangling ghosts, a group of haunting Ophelias, angry Romans to a living, breathing forest.

The panel of judges emphasised the importance of diction and clarity and the clear progression of character journeys in terms of the context of the plays performed. They also pointed out the need for better scene transitions and the organic involvement of all the bodies on stage- as all four performances were ensemble heavy.

The night’s second runner up was Visakha Vidyalaya setting the pace with a strategic and fresh take on “Hamlet”. The cleverly directed excerpt turned the spotlight on the play’s other tragic hero, or rather heroine-Ophelia. Visakha’s nuanced performance was set against a minimalist Denmark of stairs and scaffolding. The practical set was ideal for the silent, white night gowned Ophelias who mirrored the heartbreaking young woman’s inner thoughts and feelings from her last conversation with her brother to her tragic death.

Visakha Vidyalaya

Following Visakha Vidyalaya was Ave Maria Convent, Negombo with their own version of the tragedy. This year’s winner- Ave Maria shook the audience with a beautifully edited script- with more or less the whole play squeezed into their 25-35 minute performance. Every scene delivered heart stopping moments as the girls literally took their stunts to the very edge of the stage. The play itself began with blank faced ghosts garlanded with chains, the chaos in their choreographed movements reflecting Hamlet’s questioning sanity and the overall intensity of the play. Hamlet himself remained an enigma- shifting from psychotic to violent then sensitive with natural ease.

The night’s only performance of “Coriolanus” was taken on by Gateway College Kandy. In addition to being a challenging play for an all-female cast, Shakespeare’s last tragedy is also one of his lesser performed plays. But midway through the performance, one had to remind oneself that the performances were by young girls who took on the masculine roles with unforced conviction, their energy-especially from the angry plebeians adding to the personal and political tension. Coriolanus’ “dearest mother” Volumnia gave an eloquent and elegant performance which was both mature and unaffected. Special mention must also be made of the cast and crew for their seamless scene changes.

The girls’ finals ended with a laugh and some old good fashioned matchmaking mayhem as Devi Balika Vidyalaya presented the night’s only comedy- “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Sticking to an authentic, portrayal of the pastoral comedy, the first runners-up put up a visually stunning performance in terms of costumes and effects.

Awards

Best Stage Craft – Bishop’s College
Best Novices Girls School – Seventh Day Adventist High School, Kandana
Best Supporting Actress – Poshia Hettiarachchi from Gateway College (Kandy) for her role as Volumnia in ‘Coriolanus’
Best Actress- A tie between Hasini Dissanayake from Devi Balika Vidyalay for her role as Helena in a ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and Yalindi Ratnapala from Visakha Vidyalaya for her role as Ophelia in ‘Hamlet’.Overall awards

Ave Maria Convent, Negombo (Champions)
Devi Balika Vidyalaya (1st Runners Up)
Visakha Vidyalaya (2nd Runners – Up)
Gateway College Kandy (3rd Runners -Up)