Reviving interest in Kolam drama
View(s):On July 22, a traditional kolam drama ‘Kolam Natya Prasangaya’ organised by the the Kolam Art Gallery will be staged at the Rupakannutilleke Stadium of the Ananda Central College in Elpitiya.
About 15 items will be performed including popular dramas such as ‘Jasaya saha Lenchina Kolama’, ‘Singha Kolama’, ‘Anabera Kolama’ and ‘Kepiri Kolama’.
Two shows will take place at 2.30 p.m. and 6 p.m. and will mostly be performed by a new generation of artistes with traditional performance backgrounds.
Of the three main dance forms in Sri Lanka, Up Country, Low Country and Sabaragamu, Kolam drama is often associated with the Low Country dance form. With its origin dating back to earliest traces of the form found in the Gampola literary era, the dance form is a fusion of masked characters and music that come together to
convey the story.
With its popularity waning among the present generation, Director of the Kolam Academy Krishantha Rathnasiri said that they hope to revive interest in it.
A unique feature of this traditional dance form is that all characters including the female roles are
played by males.
Hand crafted masks, vibrant costumes and distinctive hairstyles are what contribute to the striking appearance of the characters. The music consists of singing and features instruments such as the low country drum commonly known as the ‘devol beraya’ and the horanewa.
‘Kolam Natya Prasangaya’ will be on at the Rupakannutilleke Stadium of Ananda Central College, Elpitiya at 2.30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on July 22.
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