Two dramas honouring departed theatre Gurus
The young generation dramatists of Janakaraliya will pay tribute to their departed teachers Gamini Haththotuwegama, Dhamma Jagoda and H. A. Perera with a special programme on January 4, 2012 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre.
The inaugural commemorative lecture to honour the late dramatists and their invaluable service to the Sri Lankan theatre arts will be delivered by poet and scholar Ariyawansha Ranaweera. Thereafter the dramas 'Porisadaya' and 'Payanihal' will be performed.
'Porisadaya' is an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's drama 'The Boor' which was translated into Sinhala by Prof. Tissa Kariyawasam. Dhamma Jagoda originally produced the play in 1968. The new version is directed by Palitha Abeylal Dharmasena.
‘Payanihal' is the Tamil translation of 'Kora Saha Andaya' written by Dr. Dharmasena Pathiraja in 1971. It was produced by Dhamma Jagoda in the same year and enjoyed a massive audience response.
Now directed by Ronika Chamalee and Selvaraj Leelawathie, it has been selected to represent Sri Lanka at the New Delhi International Drama Festival 2012.
'Payanihal' will be performed with Sinhala and English subtitles.
Organ recital in memory of Priya Kodippily
Jayadeva David Ratnanayagam will give an organ recital in memory of the late Priya Kodippily at 7 p.m. on December 30, at St. Andrew's Scots Kirk, Colombo 3. Entrance will be by programme, priced at Rs. 200, available at the door.
Proceeds will go to the Sri Lanka National Association of Counsellors (SRILNAC), of which Mrs. Kodippily was a founder-member in September 1985, its first Hony. Secretary, and one-time President. All are welcome.
A training centre for novice monks
Under the “Dharma Viraja Nikethanaya” programme launched by Ven Kotapola Amarakeerthi Thera and seven other devotees, a Bhikku training centre has been set up for the first time in Sri Lanka where novices between the ages of 13 and 20, who are enrolled as student monks in pirivenas are trained under well qualified lecturers on activities relating to the propagation of Theravada Buddhism and spiritual upliftment.
The programme is to be conducted in April, August and December, when the novices are given holidays from the Pirivenas. Each programme will be of 10-day duration.
The main objective of the training programme is to empower Samaneras with knowledge, attitudes and intellectual capacity appropriate to the modern world, to ensure the continuity and the propagation of the Buddha Dhamma."
The first such training programme was successfully conducted from December 11 to 19 at the "International Vipassana Bawana Madyastanaya" at Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7 where 39 samaneras from six pirivenas from different parts of the country were taught by a panel of experienced educators and monks.
The lessons included training in communication and media technologies that will help in the learning and the propagation of the Dhamma, understanding of the imperatives for religious work at an international level, greater discipline, promoting respect for teachers, the religion and the Sangha, helping to inculcate ideals such as Kindness (Karuna), Compassion (Maithree), Tolerance (Ivaseema) qualities that are essentials for a Bhikku, providing a greater understanding of the values that prompt one’s aspirations to be a Bhikku, devoting more time for meditation and etc. |
E-mail
