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Dark themes
in Thomian Black Dawn The Thomian
Dram-Soc has presented a wide range of theatre, from Shakespeare,
Shaw and Wilde to more contemporary playwrights. The current
batch of performers played lead roles in the anniversary production
of Sophocles' King Oedipus, Nothing Really Matters, Romeo And Juliet
and the musical Oliver. The production
this year is three plays with a continous theme. The 'human being'
seems to be the victim of society in all three plays. The contrasts
of the plays are obvious, each having its own issue, but the characters
seem trapped in some conflict which proves to be fatal at the end
of the play. After Midnight
Before Dawn, focuses on six prisoners awaiting death having been
sentenced for witchcraft. Only one character remains unmoved. On
being questioned she replies that she will not hang - the devil
will look after his own. The play is a play on words; the action
is haunting, dark and bleak. The conflict between the actors reaches
a climax with all being possessed by the devil. David's Birthday,
presents the psychological dilemma of having to cope with the daily
routines of a retarded boy-man. Here, the characters all suffer
in their personal relationships with their families. The action
takes place on David's birthday, which again ends in calamity. The final play
is something common in our country. Progress is a play about a woman
losing both her husband and son in battle, who finds it difficult
to accept her brother's new invention - something which will stop
war!! The production this year is directed by Vinodh Senadeera, and is assisted by Niran Ankitell and Troy Manathunga. The cast includes Troy Manathunga, Niran Ankitell, Jithendra Seneviratne, Irshad Hameed, Suresh De Silva, Shehan Grey and Naveen Perera. Random
Ramblings - By Akasha Friends are
yours for better, because they provide a shoulder to cry on when
your significant other dumps you in the most heartless of ways.
They are there when you realise that the world is unfair and you
cannot always have your way. They are also
the people whom you can discuss the meaning of life with. Or maybe
they are just people who are happy for you just because you are
there. They bring out the best in you, when you have this amazing
secret, they are there to share in your joy. When you experience
your first kiss, there's someone to tell it to. Or even when you
want to discuss major dilemmas in your life, they are the pillars
of your world. Or even when you hear a weird accent or see a strange
person dressed in funny clothes, they are the people who you know
will not take offence at you taking a jab at that poor soul. The best thing
is, they love you for you. If you have tendencies to cry during
soppy movies, or if you are wrong in an argument, even if you got
the promotion which your friend deserved to get or you are beaten
by some person who thinks he is better than you, they will still
stick by your side. Where can you find that sort of puppy-love devotion?
Other than from a puppy... Unfortunately,
there is a bad side to this wonderful part of our lives. Friends
are yours for worse, because they will eventually do the same thing
to you. They will find a way to verbally, psychologically and physically
assault you with many things ranging from simple math problems to
complex suggestions on how to investigate the mind workings of a
lizard. Maybe even drag you on some hazardous expedition to save
some strange and exotic animal from extinction. You have to
deal with their bad sides, their incredibly bad habits (I kid you
not, I did once have a friend who was terribly afraid of flowing
water so you can imagine how much fun that was) their tendencies
to over-exaggerate (my friend once told me about this person insisting
he was really REALLY tall, and when I actually met this guy, he
was actually around 5'7"), their craziness and eccentricities.
In other words, when they deal with your crap, you have to deal
with theirs. It's an unsaid agreement but I am sure, there comes
a time when you wish it was dealt with right in the very beginning.
For example, I have always wondered why I never discussed my friend's
inclination to hug me at every chance she gets, I mean, I don't
mind getting a hug but not one that will squeeze my life away. Friendship
is a give-and-take relationship; the best policy I'd recommend to
anyone is "distance makes the heart grow fonder". That
is certainly true in my experience. I love my best friend to death,
but if we were in the same room together for too long, I am sure
we would kill each other in the most creative way possible. No,
it's not what you think; I am not going to find myself a bazooka
or some nuclear weapon. But we are very verbally expressive in our
ideas. My advice to you is this, and this is applicable from the time you meet the first individuals you consider friends, to your deathbed. You should know who your true friends are. Life is short, spend time with the people who really love you for you and not for your exotic knowledge about types of sand found deep in the ocean. There is a difference between true friends and friends. The latter will be there for you for the good times, but true friends are few and far between, and once you find them, keep them close to your heart because you never know when you will find them. |
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Ltd. All rights reserved. |
on
the boards at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, on September 6, 7 and 8
at 7.30 p.m.
