Ballad for the young

By Yamini Sequeira

West Side Story, Ameri- ca's landmark musi- cal was first staged in 1957. The story was to be a retelling of the tragic Romeo & Juliet love story, but this time between an American boy and a Puerto Rican girl. With the increased population of Puerto Rican immigrants in New York after World War II, the creators of this musical decided to move the plot to the city's West Side. Despite it being the first musical to have a tragic ending, West Side Story remains one of the most often produced and most popular shows in the American musical theatre genre.

And now the Workshop Players under the directorial baton of well-known theatre personality, Jerome De Silva recreates this much-loved musical on the Sri Lankan stage. With a cast of 48, the work is cut out for Jerome De Silva who remains modest and prefers to stand in the wings and let the actors revel in the spotlight. West Side Story will be performed at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from September 3rd - 5th and 7th - 14th . Standard Chartered Bank and the Ceylon Theatres Group are the principal sponsors for the musical.

West Side Story's longevity could be attributed to its haunting music and timeless story. With ethnic conflict a reality in the world today, the conflict between Americans and Puerto Ricans in 1957 is as relevant today as it was then. For despite the lessons taught to us four decades ago in this musical, we are still repeating the same mistakes. West Side Story is built around the love of Tony, leader of the Jets and Maria, the younger sister of the leader of the rival Sharks, the Puerto Rican gang. The story begins as a fight for territory and control of the streets using fists and words and ultimately becomes a full-scale gang war using knives.

Though the Workshop Players' West Side Story, still six weeks away from opening night, is not thoroughly rehearsed the scenes performed during a rehearsal revealed the promise of living upto the high production qualities of the original, four decades ago. There is just one word for the Workshop Players, fiercely talented. This is a musical that is severally demanding of the actor's physical and emotive strengths since most dialogues are impassioned and forceful and the choreography very tense with body movements stretched to the limit, very full-blown. These are characters who live in the streets after all and their crudity and animal instincts are at the fore right through as the story unfolds and this quality is very well brought out by the cast for it forms the core sentiment of the entire musical. The entirely danced Prologue itself allows us a glimpse into the mood of the play- aggressive and tense. The only relief is provided by tender scenes between Maria and Tony and the sexually overt posturing of Anita.

Protagonists Tony and Maria watch helplessly as two opposing street gangs, boys they know and love, get transformed into unrecognisable brutes attending war councils and acquiring weapons. Intolerant of their love, the two opposing gangs fight it out and as dead bodies pile up, Tony and Maria dream of a place where they can love each other unopposed. But events unfold otherwise and the musical ends tragically.

This musical will appeal as much to theatre buffs as it will to the youth of today who would identify with many scenes from the play. The triumph of the play is that even today it does not have a dated look about it. The dialogues and songs are modern and fall in with the slang used by today's youth. Moreover, songs from the musical like, 'Maria', 'America,' 'Tonight' and 'Somewhere' still delight, sung as they are by a competent cast. Jerome De Silva's choreography is very physical and very intense thus rendering it extremely compelling. The entire production will cost Rs. 1.7 million, quite a staggering figure but one that promises slick sets and good acoustics.

For those who were lucky to catch the Workshop Players last show, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, can be sure this production will live up to the standards set by the original creators of West Side Story 40 years ago. Ironically the original West Side Story was also choreographed and directed by Jerome de Silva's namesake Jerome Robbins and this homegrown production could very well pre-suppose its success!

The Workshop Players and their creative director Jerome de Silva spoke to YAMINI SEQUEIRA about the making of West Side Story. Excerpts.

Q: Why was West Side Story chosen?

WP: While scouting around for a musical our main criteria was meaningful content. As a theatre group committed to promoting peace through the performing arts we felt West Side Story really brought out the ravages of racial conflict very realistically. Moreover it is so relevant in the current context in Sri Lanka today where we encounter ethnic conflict. We hope to make a difference, however small, towards the cause of peace with this production.

Q: What do you feel has been the most difficult aspect of this production?

Jerome: The choreography surely. I am not a trained dancer and so I had to just go along with my instinctive response to a particular tune. I listen to the score and move along with it and the cast imitates the movement. If it works it's in.

WP: Yes, the choreography is very difficult because we have to mirror hostility in every dance step we take and need to sustain that rigid body shape right through the entire musical and that can prove to be tiring. In fact the choreographed fight scenes have actually caused injuries and now we have a resident doctor on call during rehearsals. There are only two actors who are professionally trained dancers, the rest of the cast is amateur.

Q: Have major changes been made from the original version of West Side Story?

Jerome: The changes are mainly in the script where I have changed the transition of certain scenes and since my cast comprises more girls I was forced to alter some characters. The original song 'America' was sung by the Puerto Rican girls but I included the American girls too to bring out the conflict once again and it has worked very well. And also the characters will sing with backing tracks as there will be no orchestra.

Q: What are the future plans of Workshop Players?

WP: We are now looking to conduct theatre workshops in smaller towns, and even villages if invited. We ask for no money but the opportunity to introduce theatre into the lives of students in every remote corner in Sri Lanka. So we are grateful for every bit of financial help we get from patrons and well-wishers.

Jerome: I have found that acting can be a very therapeutic experience for my students, that is how they realise their potential and attain confidence. None of my cast is paid and neither am I but we are bound together by a mutual feeling of love for the medium of theatre.

Something out of the ordinary

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

Teledrama director Jayantha Chandrasiri has a multiple theme tele treat lined up for local audiences. His story deals with human complexities, awakening one's astral body and time travel; the very stuff of Star Wars but with an oriental tinge. It is a touching story of the human psyche and moral deterioration in contemporary times.

In a television career spanning only a decade, short compared to the number of years others count, Jayantha's works have been in a class of their own. "Akala Sandhya Nohoth Kalarthaye Thirtha Yathrikaya" (Time Traveller) is his third attempt.

Akala Sandhya is based on a 17th Century legend, woven around two Kandyan clans, exponents of a traditional form of martial arts. Being traditional rivals, fighters from the Sudaliya and Maruwalliya clans, they were often called upon to hold exhibition fights. The fights were organized for the king's pleasure and often held inside a large pit resembling a Roman Coliseum.

According to Jayantha, the story has definite historical foundation with Senerath the Second who ruled during this particular period being a lover of martial arts, and former Archaeological Commissioner H.C.P.Bell corroborating the view that two such clans with Kandyan origins existed in the same period.

The legend has it that in a duel, Nagasinghe the Sudaliya clan leader fatally injures the Maruwalliya clan leader using a strange power acquired through yogic exercise and meditation. So the fallen man's daughter is sent to Kerala to master this ancient martial art and fight her father's killer. It is a historically established fact that the heroine Punchi Menila was actually the first woman Disawe of the country, a high powered rural chieftain of the Hathara Korale.

What enriches Jayantha's plot is not the traditional martial arts or the rich history and legends. It is the outstanding quality of human complexities and what spiritual powers a man could achieve in a life time.

"According to Yogic teaching, a person who reaches a certain level of spiritual advancement could awaken certain inner forces lying dormant inside the human body. It could give tremendous energy and vibrations to the people. Nagasinghe drew on his inner powers to fight his opponent. Subsequently, he was able to ride through time and see his past and future, and understand the futility of human craving and life itself."

But the director says that he wanted a departure from the traditional theme of revenge- hence the ambitious Nagasinghe becoming a symbol of compassion following the teachings of Buddha and facing his inevitable death with an enlightened man.

Yes, the young director admits spicing his script with Freud, Einstein and yogic teachings. According to yogic teachings, the serpent like tantric powers within a body could be sparked off and these energies could be used in real life through achieving a yoga- namely Kundaleni( serpent in Sanskrit).

Akala Sandhya is a passionate story about life, and the director presents his views on certain eras through Nagasinghe, the martial exponent with the power to ride through time. Hidden here is his actual message that the consumer culture has devoured all our human values- hence the couched appeal to preserve life and end the circle of simmering hatred.

The creator of Veda Hamine and Dadubasnamanaya, two award winning tele dramas, Jayantha is of the view that an artiste's work should inspire thinking.

"It is lamentable that artistes themselves gang up against audiences when they turn critical. I have tried to be futuristic in my work, but people have not said they were beyond comprehension. We have heaped substandard movies, dramas and tele films on enlightened audiences who have had the refined taste to reject them," says Jayantha.

Akala Sandhya was created for this enlightened audience and Jayantha says that he chose his cast and the production team with care. Artistes like Jackson Anthony, Sriyantha Mendis, Sabitha Perera, Buddhadasa Withanachchi, Damitha Abeyratne and many more. Maestro Khemadasa has embellished the tele drama with his musical score- haunting melodies of the Kandyan era.

A self taught artiste, Jayantha Chandrasiri considers himself lucky enough to have had good breaks and many opportunities to study theatre abroad.

"It is lamentable that we have no training ground, hence out artistes always remain the uncut gems. Personally, I think it is the theatre discipline which gave me the vital extra edge- the arduous rehearsing and the sweat and tears that go with it," he says pensively, adding that lack of technical training and the delays in telecasting have caused the greatest heartburn.

Having studied theatre in Germany, England, Norway, Sweden and the USA, Jayantha's stage drama 'Mora' won seven awards at the State Drama Festival. In 1990, 'Veda Hamine' was adjudged the best tele film at the UNDA Awards. His 'Dadubasnamanaya' won 9 of 10 awards at the UNDA Awards and 12 of 14 at the Sumathi Presentations.

But the laurels apart, he is saddened by the delays in telecasting which make creations rather outmoded. And yes, despite the painstaking efforts, even 'Akala Sanadhya' was shelved for three years due to lack of sponsors. Despite the excellent grading given, it was not given priority or allocated a telecasting belt soon.

A smiling Jayantha says that after many years of contemplation, he has embarked on a new project of painting on a larger canvas- the silver screen in a Japanese collaborated film.

'Akala Sandhya,' a tele drama which beats the humdrum of life will be telecast from August 6, every Thursday at 8.30 pm over Rupavahini.

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