“No five fingers are alike, just like the social issues that surround us,” says Kapila Rasnayaka, Director of Fingers Night – an innovative theatre production which will use performing arts in addressing social issues. Calling the production unique would only underrate it, since it’s groundbreaking in itself. Social issues that were blanketed under social stigma will be unearthed by this production. “You can call it controversial and many people have openly criticized it”, says Kapila, who is also a Director of the ACT foundation. “We know that Sri Lankan society will find it hard to accept this form of drama at once, but it is an initiative that will lead to change”.
The Sri Lanka Youth Foundation and the Family Planning association, along with the Grassrooted Trust empowers the production, while the ACT foundation will be organizing it. The passion for performing arts and the compassion for social service is the common element that binds all the members of the ACT foundation – which is a University centred youth volunteer movement who aim at addressing and sensitizing the general public through performing arts. The strategic use of media, event management and creativity to create public awareness on social issues is their objective. ACT has been involved with many volunteer projects, however their latest venture will raise more than a few eyebrows.
‘Fingers Night’, is a theatre production that will focus on the social issues of HIV/AIDS, violence against women, discrimination, LGBT rights and media suppression. “If we want to bring out a certain element, we will not waste time beating around the bush”, Kapila exclaims, “The drama will be as direct as it gets”. The creative use of voice and flexibility will be highlighted at ‘Fingers Night’. “It will have music but not songs, it will have performances but not dance, it will have voice but not dialogues”.
The revolutionary aspect comes into play because our society is yet to adapt to direct reference to socially hidden themes, thus a play that directly voices out opinions on social issues and make direct references to it will face it’s fair bit of criticism. “To use that criticism to our advantage is what the crew will be looking at,” Kapila mentions. The play will feature a scene where ten actors will be entirely clad in newspapers and depict reading the newspapers at different angles, while in the backdrop, parts of commercials will be playing and nostalgic references to popular TV adverts will be made. We are trying to show that people are streamed to think, and we take up social cues faster than any living being. “We all look for a face that resembles Angelina Jolie or Shah Rukh Khan in the middle of a crowd, we all want to dress as crisply as Leonardo Di Caprio when we go to work, and we all wish we could drive like Vin Disel on the streets”, says Kapila, “These are all social cues that we have taken up and we are constantly aware of them. In the same way why can’t be aware of the social issues that surround us?”, he questions.
Some segments will discuss areas such the responsibility of youth in sexual and reproductive issue, something that has been in the hiding. Nobody wants to voice out their opinions on such issues out of the fear of backlash. “The only way to address these issues, is to be direct about them”, says Kapila. “We will have girls come on stage and depict scenarios and monologues relating to the issues, positive reinforcement is what we need”.
Fingers Night will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 14 at the Bishops College Auditorium. Tickets are available at Sarasavi bookshops and ODEL Town Hall/Mount Lavinia. Tickets are priced at Rs.250, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000. |
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