Rajitha returns with a mini festival of award winning plays
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Two plays written and directed by renowned dramatist Rajitha Dissanayake, will be staged on 19, 20 and 21 January 2024 at 7.00 pm at the Lionel Wendt Theatre in Colombo.
The festival will kick off with Rajitha’s classic play ‘Weeraya Merila’ (‘The Hero is Dead’), which will be performed on January 19 and 20. The new production will mark the 22nd anniversary of the play, which has been performed hundreds of times throughout the country. In 2002 it won 5 State Drama awards including Best Original Play and Best Script. As the title signifies, the play is themed on the absence of genuine heroes in modern-day society. The script was written at a time when the idea of the selfless classic “hero” who resisted and questioned mainstream social and cultural norms, was fast diminishing and being replaced by a new type of “hero” driven primarily by fame and self-interest. Journalists, artistes, intellectuals and similar influential figures, who had previously been considered “heroes” due to their efforts to empower others and oppose injustice, had begun to focus more on growing their wealth, influence and status in a society that had become media-led.
On January21 is Rajitha’s latest production ‘2019 ‘Jooli Mase Dawasak’ (A Day in July 2019) which premiered in January 2022. As the echo of July 83 still haunts us, the impact of 2019 will follow us through the coming decade. Dissanayake’s play – which premiered to full-houses in January 2022 – revolves around certain events that could have taken place on an ordinary day, in 2019. The play has been acclaimed by audiences and critics for its clever writing and subtle acting.
The cast is made up of experienced stage and screen actors and comprises Jayani Senanayake, Dharmapriya Dias, Umali Thilakarathna, Pasan Ranaweera, Sarath Karunarathna, Sampath Jayaweera, Prasad Sooriyarachchi, Gihan de Chickera, Prasadini Athapaththu, Anuradha Mallawarachchi, Sudarshana Krishantha, Janet Anthony, Ashan Perera, Kasuni Ganewaththa, Lihan Mendis, Anuk Fernando and Nawanjana Jayasekara.
Music for ‘Weeraya Merila’ is by Kapila Poogalarachchi with new production by Mahira Dissanayake. Music for ‘2019 Jooli Mase Dawasak’ is by Mahira Dissanayake.
Tickets priced at Rs. 4000, 3000, 2500, 2000, 1500 and 1000 (balcony) are now available at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. Online ticket booking is available at www.myseat.lk.
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