| Mirror
Magazine |
||||
|
Madri
Jayasekera maybe pretty young to walk away with two awards, but
her creations are...
Winning
the Designer of the Year title, she says, was one of the most exciting
moments in her life. The award was based on the concept the designer
chose, presentation skills and personality. "The judges also
question you on everything and you should be able to give sensible
answers on the spur of the moment." An old girl
of Holy Family Convent, Madri has been sewing since the age of ten
and initially made her own clothes, without even the basic knowledge
of designing. "My mother is very artistic and my father is
a good painter, so I guess I got the talent from my parents,"
she says. Her aunt, who was a seamstress "also had an influence
on my designing" she adds. Having studied
first for her Certificate in Illustration and Colour in Bangkok,
she then went on to earn a Diploma in Fashion Technology at the
JD Institute of Fashion Technology in Sri Lanka and hopes to do
the Higher National Diploma at the Institute as well. "The JD
Design Awards was the first time Madri displayed her creations.
She admits that preparing for the show was very hectic. "I
really had to gear myself for it. I really learnt what it was to
work hard and the importance of being efficient." The support
she got from her parents, friends and boyfriend were invaluable,
she acknowledges gratefully. "There
is nothing really original out there for young people to wear and
I think this is what got most of us more into designing," she
comments. She has in the past worked with Michael Wijesuriya and
admires his work. "I think his designs are lovely and they
are very original. He has helped me in many ways," she says. "What
amazes me is how little support is given to designers here. There
are many good designers but they don't really want
to aspire to something higher, they just open a boutique and make
money, that's far as they would go." She is determined to change
that. She also hopes
to change the belief that designing is so time consuming that the
designers don't have time for themselves. "I want to stop studying
by 30, get married and settle down and break that belief,"
she laughs, eyes twinkling. Madri hopes
to have her own ramp shows in the future. She also wants to travel
the world "so I can see what's out there and draw inspiration
from unexplored places." A volunteer
at the Animal Welfare Protection Association she is a strong believer
that animals should be treated like humans. Madri hopes to have
a few shows to collect funds for animals and open an Animal Home, sometime in the future. A
'must-see' from SJC The 35-strong
cast consist of schoolboys ranging from 11-19, with the exception
of a guest appearance by actress cum song bird, Juanita Beling (Yocheved,
Moses's mother), The backstage singing crew comprise members of
the Old Joes Choir and a few guest singers. The entire
production consisting of seven songs (inclusive of one addition
to the original soundtrack) is being directed, separated into harmonies
and orchestrated by Deshan Cooray. Asked why he
picked this play in particular, Jehan said it was chosen because
it was very popular with the kids and was one they could easily
relate to. It offers plenty of room for creativity and innovation,
he says. "By the
apt use of dance, song and puppet theatre, we are able to bring
out the true essence of the play. Although it is seemingly a daunting
task to choreograph, design costumes and sets, as well as to direct
a production, once it's all done, it gives you a certain sense of
satisfaction at the end of the day, that cannot be substituted by
any other feeling," says the director with pride. At first, most
of the boys could hardly move or sing without being self-conscious
but now they have grown in confidence and have risen to the challenge.
Fitness and flexibility wise too, the boys have come a long way,
having put in quite a lot of hard work. The two brothers,
Moses and Rameses (Bryce Kern and Leon Arendtsz), around whom the
whole tale revolves had to undergo an in-depth character analysis
of their two roles and build a strong rapport, thus ensuring the
correct chemistry needed to portray their characters to perfection. Certain key
scenes, like bringing to life the river Nile and the plagues too
are wonderfully done. The deaths of the firstborn son of every Egyptian
household including the son of the Pharaoh, is portrayed amazingly
through the use of the Angels of Death taking away the children's
lives in the form of a nightmare. It all falls into place, piece
by piece to form one man's amazing vision. "It's
been quite a challenge adapting this story to the stage, especially
since it has over 150 roles ranging from Hebrews to Midians to Egyptians
to trees, frogs, snakes etc. but the boys have been very enthusiastic,
some having taken two or more roles each," says Jehan. "We want
this to stand out as a professional production. We've literally
been through blood, sweat and tears in the past six months of rehearsing
and we hope to give it all we've got. I push the boys to the maximum
as only then can we give it our best," he adds with a smile. The Prince
of Egypt is a must for anyone looking out for an evening of family
entertainment. The box plan will be available from the first week
of February at the Lionel Wendt. Ranjith Page
has come forward as the principal sponsor of the play. The electronic
media sponsors are Dyna Vision, Sun FM, and Gold FM while the print
media sponsor is The Sunday Times. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
