At their performance of ‘Readings’ the trainers of the Sunera Foundation seemed to be working on the concept of “All the world’s a stage”.
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| Delon Weerasinghe |
Almost like the seven stages of man that Shakespeare speaks of in As You Like It, characters and personalities from different walks of life- all with different problems and challenges, took the stage of the Punchi Theatre in 12 short plays - produced and directed by the senior trainers of Sunera, who have completed a training process with director and playwright Delon Weerasinghe, on developing scripts and performances.
The workshop progressed through three stages during the course of four months, and the trainers were also assisted by Alison Skiibeck, a British actor, director, theatre personality and trustee of the Friends of Sunera Foundation in UK. She conducted a one-day training session with the 14 trainers who attended this workshop on February 16, during which she gave them valuable inputs on how to execute an effective production.
Each production was about six minutes in duration, and many of them dealt with the struggles and challenges faced by individuals and families- sometimes due to disability. Incorporating a story, characters and message into a mere six minutes is not easy, but the 14 trainers did a good job.
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| The productions focused more on acting and less
on props |
Although the dramas were short, they were by no means lacking in depth, and each situation enacted was not only relevant to the current issues faced in society, but also helped create an awareness and understanding of the different personalities we encounter in life.
The plays were well acted out, and left the audience interested. Each drama ended on a cliffhanger, and also gave the audience a chance to actually think about and analyze what was taking place on stage without simply being passive viewers.
It was commendable to see the way in which the actors switched characters many times with much ease. Particularly notable of these was one of a girl who within a few minutes, switched from the roles of a Downs Syndrome patient, to a hapless prostitute brought up before a judge, a brusque army officer and impatient mother.
The directors were perceptive and insightful in their handling of each scene. Every little detail- right down to the smallest gestures, movements and expressions, was well thought out and added a great deal to the short performances.
It was nice to see a focus on acting and direction, with less emphasis on props and costumes. However, one criticism that could be made on the performances is that in the case of a few of the dramas the scene transition was not very slick; in fact in most of these cases a scene transition was not necessary.
Overall, it was an interesting and insightful evening and no doubt, achieved its objective of improving talents and skills and boosting the confidence of these young trainers. And that is what Sunera is all about. |
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