“Wit makes fun of other persons,” mused James Thurber, American author and cartoonist. “The satirist makes fun of the world; the humorist makes fun of himself, but in so doing, he identifies himself with people…not for the purpose of taking them apart, but simply revealing their true nature.”
Challenging the audience of Colombo to identify with, engage in and appreciate art for its own sake- be it on canvas, in sculpture or on the stage, the Festival of Art 2011, presented by the Lionel Wendt Memorial Fund is held in commemoration of the 111th birthday anniversary of Lionel Wendt. Despite the festival being on a smaller scale than last year, it is by no means less comprehensive. From Shakespeare to modern realist drama to black comedy and contemporary political satire; and art in various forms- on canvas, clay and tin, this year’s festival has an enticing selection of events, making November 23 to 27 a busy five days for the Lionel Wendt and Colombo’s art lovers.
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| Dominic Kellar in The Astounding Krispinsky. |
Bakamuna Weedi Basi Written and directed by Rajitha Dissanayake
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Priyantha Sirikumara |
“We took a great deal of care in deciding what the schedule would include,” comments Dilrukshi Wijenaike, the Administrative Secretary of the Lionel Wendt Memorial Fund. “Not only did we want to provide aspiring dramatists with increased exposure, but we also wanted to provide opportunities for dramatists who are unable to showcase their work as often as others due to several constraints. In addition to this, our intention was to move away from the more commercial, mainstream comedies and give the audience a selection which would really create an impact.”
For Rajitha Dissanayake, writer and director of Bakamuna Weedi Basi, which will be performed on November 25, this impact comes in the form of the audience’s reaction to a scene which it can relate to. “The ‘Owl in the Street’,” he says, “is all about the different ways in which people react to power. At times, their reaction is tragic. At other times it is comical. In many instances too, there is a certain loss of identity that is associated with an individual’s way of dealing with power- whether he is the one with power or a victim of it.”
Last performed in August, Bakamuna Weedi Basi captured the attention of the audience with its use of allegory and subtle, satirical portrayal of contemporary issues. Despite its dark themes, it is, in Rajitha’s opinion, the use of comedy which serves in effectively driving a point home. “While people laugh at what takes place on stage,” he say, explaining the concept of black comedy, “at the back of their minds they know that in a way, they are also laughing at themselves. In that sense, the strength of black comedy lies in its capacity to bring out certain complexities in people.” We appreciate the opportunity to present our work at the Lionel Wendt, says Rajitha, expressing his gratitude to the Lionel Wendt for all the support extended.
Chekku, taking the stage on the opening day of the festival, creates a somewhat similar impact to that of the ‘Owl in the Street,’ capturing glimpses of Sri Lanka’s socio-political environment in the 1960’s and 70’s; and its impact on people. Containing recollections of Sri Lanka’s turbulent political environment at the time, the play makes use of remembrance in conveying the fact that some things do not change; and that there are important lessons to be learnt, even from recent history.
As a whole, the participants in this year’s festival agree that the art they present conveys often unpleasant uncomfortable truths while striving to challenge conventional stereotypes.
“What is good art, and what is bad art,” questions veteran artist H. A. Karunaratne who will present a lifetime of work on canvas and sculpture at the festival. “Who gets to make this judgement? Art involves too much of a personal experience to be characterized in this way.”
“I feel that, in some cases, art and drama try too hard to prove a certain point,” reflects Brandon Ingram, the director of ‘Commencing’ which will be performed on November 26. “This play for instance, deals with homosexuality and the notions some people have of homosexuals. There is always a tendency to project a homosexual- be it a male or female- in a certain, rather stereotypical way. In ‘Commencing’ what we have tried to do is break those stereotypes and prove that being homosexual doesn’t necessarily involve a masking of an individual’s personality.”
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| A scene from Bernada ge Sipiri Geya- directed by Priyantha Sirikumara. Pic by Nalith Hegoda |
Each actor is acutely aware of the challenge of portraying the subtle nuances of their characters. “Even in the case of a monologue,” there are several challenges; and not simply in moving the play from a small stage to the much bigger stage of the Lionel Wendt,” comments Dominic Kellar, referring to his performance in ‘The Astounding Krispinsky’. “It is very fast paced, and the process of dramatizing it involved a great deal of micro analyzing, where we had to figure out ways in which to use every single word to its potential.”
For these actors the all important goal is to make sure that the audience is able to catch the implications- however subtle- of the words they speak. “It is about effectively narrating a story while enabling the audience to experience the same depth of emotion as that which the actor feels on stage,” explains Gehan Blok who as the passionate preacher Reverend Tim in ‘Starving Children’ navigates the challenges of a monologue while attempting to perfect the subtle art of the guilt trip in raising funds for the starving children of Africa.
“It can be challenging to bring out several emotions, especially in a wordy play like Coriolanus,” says Sashane Perera who directed the cast of D. S. Senanayake College for the Shakespeare Drama Competition in October this year. “The cast had to do a lot of in-depth reading in order to really tap into the meaning of what they had to say and the commitment they put into the process paid off very well.”
What’s on, at a glance
Dram:
- November 23- Chekku- directed by Thiyagaraja Sivanesan and presented by Janakaraliya.
- November 24- Bernada ge Sipiri Geya- directed by Priyantha Sirikumara and produced by Praveen Kulasinghe, featuring Kaushalya Fernando, Chandani Senevirathne, Chamila Pieris, Nadee Kammallaweera, Duleeka Marapana, Malkanthi Jayasinghe, Nilmini Buwaneka, Samadi Laksiri, Yamuna Jayasinghe, Sudharshani Jalanigama.
- November 25- Bakamuna Weedi Basi- Written and directed by Rajitha Dissanayake, featuring Shyam Fernando, Jayani Senanayake, Priyankara Rathnayake, Dharmapriya Dias, Prasad Suriyaaracchi, Sampath Jayaweera, Nalin Lusena, Samitha Sudheeshwara and others.
- November 26- The Astounding Krispinsky- Written by Eric Coble and directed by Chamat Arambewela, featuring Dominic Kellar and Yashoda Suriyapperuma.
Starving Children- Written by Eric Bogosian and directed by Ruvin de Silva, featuring Gehan Blok.
Commencing- Written by Jane Shepard and directed by Brandon Ingram, featuring Thanuja Jayawardene and Sulakshani Fernando.
Coriolanus- an excerpt from William Shakespeare’s play, directed by Sashane Perera and co-directed by Shamin de Silva and Jehan Riza; performed by the Drama Society of D. S Senanayake College.
- November 27- Charandas- Winner of the State Literary Award in 2009, written and directed by Parakrama Niriella.
All performances start at 7 p.m. Tickets for the performances priced at Rs. 1000, 750, 500, 300 and 250; and season tickets priced at Rs. 2000 are available at The Lionel Wendt from
November 11.
ART EXHIBITIONS
- November 23 to 27 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.- Lionel Wendt Gallery- Exhibition of Art and Sculpture by Sri Lankan Artists
- Harold Peiris Gallery- Exhibition of Art and Sculpture by H. A. Karunaratna.
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