TV Times

TV Times

Jana karaliya creates colour in Polonnaruwa
By Susitha R. Fernando
"Jana Karaliya Drama Festival" led by veteran theatre and drama personalities Parakrama Niriella and H. A. Perera shows with variety of items in Polonnaruwa.
'Jana Karaliya Drama and Theatre' programme which began in the month of July in Polonnaruwa district will come alive again from September 6 to 17, at the Jana Karaliya Mobile Theatre erected at the Thoppawewa Maha Vidyalaya ground. This show has followed many similar performances in several different parts of the country with various types of drama and theatre programmes.

The main features of Jana Karaliya Drama Festival are the plays "Charandas", which will be performed on 06 September. "Seethamabarapataya" and "Andaramal" on September 07th, "Makaraksha" on 08th, "Erukakalam Poo" and "Mayapattadai" on 09th, "Charandas" on 10th, "Nonimi" on 11th, "Seethamabarapataya" and "Andaramal" on 12th, "Makaraksha" on 13th.
The programme will bring entertainment for all including children's plays.

Suranjith Sameera Ranasinghe's "Chocolate Yodaya and Kasimalla" will be staged on August 14th and Sumith Samarasinghe's "Soru Evilla" on 15th.
The regional play "Rajek Lebuna" by D. K. Attigala will be performed on September 16. The "Jana Karaliya Drama Festival" will have its final date on September 17 with an evaluation seminar at 3.00pm and the "Charandas" performance at 6.30 pm.

The performances of plays will be at 10.00 am as school shows and at 6.30 pm as public shows. "Jana Karaliya Drama Festival" started on August 28 at with the participation of the Minister of Mahaveli, Rajarata Development and Irrigation Mr. Maithripala Sirisena and the Chief Minister of the North-Central province Mr. Berty Premalal Dissanayake.

The organiser, veteran drama personality Parakrama Niriella says "the programme consist of applied Theatre Workshops for primary teachers at zonal and divisional levels in the school system and to educate primary teachers on using drama and theatre in teaching the curriculum subjects and improving the skills of the primary students. This can be called theatre in education or Theatre for education. The second type of workshop is for Drama and Theatre subject teachers and students. This gives more understanding of the Drama and Theatre subject matters for the Ordinary Level and Advanced Level teachers and students. The third type is for teachers and students who produce dramas for national, Zonal, Divisional and District level competitions or for any other reasons, to give them practical knowledge on drama production".

Speaking about this massive project the co-organiser H. A. Perera said "Jana Karaliya conducts these programmes in collaboration with the Additional Provincial Education Directors office. It further conducts Drama and Theatre appreciation programmes and workshops for youth in Welikanda, Hingurakgoda and Thamankaduwa divisional secretariat regions, in collaboration with the Mahaweli community organisations and other independent art centres".

Jana Karaliya is conducting an appreciation programme in the Tamil Language for Tamil speaking students at Manampitiya Tamil Maha Vidyalaya.
After the Polonnaruwa programme "Jana Karaliya" will travel to Trincomalee District and its main task will be producing the play "Charandas" in the Tamil Language and conducting a drama workshop for Tamil youth of the area.

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