When wishes come true

She tried to fold a thousand cranes to make her wish come true – yet, it was not to be. A Thousand Cranes is the true and poignant story of Sadako Sasaki, a young victim of the Hiroshima atomic bomb disaster, that has touched millions of hearts around the world. Kathryn Schultz Miller created the stage play of the story in 1988. Since then it has been performed literally thousands of times by professional and community theatres in the United States as well as other countries.

Now, this beautiful tale comes to life through the young performers of the School of Drama and Theatre at the Russian Centre in Colombo. With a cast of youngsters ranging between the ages of seven and fourteen, the play is targeted at helping both children and adults understand the power of one person to create change, the long term consequences of war, and the values that are cherished by all cultures.

"Children today tend to take violence for granted," says Aroshe Ranasinghe, who directs the play, explaining that she hopes the roles they play in A Thousand Cranes help to sensitise them towards the acts of hostility and warfare that is almost a daily occurrence in our country at present. The children too have been making their own cranes to be part of the décor on the day of the performance, as well as to give the members of the audience.

Sadako was only two years old when the bomb fell on Hiroshima and seemed to be unharmed, but at twelve she was diagnosed with leukaemia – an aftermath of the bomb's effects. With boundless optimism, she took an old story to heart: If a sick person folds a thousand paper origami cranes the Gods will grant her wish and make her well again. She began to fold her thousand cranes.

However, when she reached the 644th crane, she died of her illness. Her friends and classmates finished Sadako's work. They folded enough cranes to make a thousand. Today children in Japan and all over the world fold a thousand cranes and lay them at the feet of Sadako's statue in the Hiroshima Peace Park. Their wish is engraved at the bottom of the monument: “ This is our cry, this is our prayer, peace in the world–”

"I really like the character – she's strong and at the same time playful," says 13-year-old Savindi Subasinghe who plays Sadako, adding that the hard work, discipline and co-operation of all those taking part in the production is sure to make it a success.

The play is produced along the lines of Japanese theatre, explains Ms. Ranasinghe, where the entire cast is onstage as part of the chorus. When they have a particular part to play, they don robes or masks and step forward to assume their role.

A Thousand Cranes will be performed at The Russian Centre in Colombo on May 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the venue.