![]() |
![]() 16th August 1998 |
Front Page| |
![]() |
||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() Our lovely cover girl this week is Nathasha, who models an outfit provided by 'Inspirations.' Nathasha's hair and make-up were done by Purnima Abeyratne and she was photographed for the Mirror by Anuruddha Medawattegedera |
Contents
|
![]() |
Mind GamesDelon Weerasinghe previews 'Anna Weiss,' a powerful psychological dramaImagine a woman who finds herself having to come to terms with memories of being sexually abused as a child. Imagine that woman being confronted with the image of her father as her abuser. Imagine an innocent father accused of the most violent and cruel form of betrayal by a daughter he loves. To both of them the truth is obvious. She knows that he is her abuser. He knows that he is not. Who's telling the truth, who's lying... Mike Cullen's play Anna Weiss isn't going to give any easy answers to those questions.
Even though the culture of therapy is not as widespread in Sri Lanka as it is in the West, there is no fear in the minds of the cast or the director that the subject will go above the heads of an audience. "It's contemporary in the way of language, and it's universal on the level of emotion. Culture may restrict the way we discuss it, or deal with it, but the message will still be clear." The play, even though based on the condition of "False memory syndrome," is more about three people trying to come to terms with the shadow of a terrible allegation which hangs above them like a cloud. It explores how it has destroyed three lives. "It's just a story of three people fighting for survival."
Because the play casts a doubt as to whether Lynn was actually abused or if this whole story is just her imagination, there is some room for controversy. "We are not trying to make a case for child abusers and paedophiles,' says Rohan. "We are not offering a solution. We are merely presenting a situation. There is no question that child abuse exists. Recovered memory also exists. We are merely saying that false memory exists as well."
A play that is so heavy in its subject matter is bound to be intense and draining for the actors. "There is no way that we can go out somewhere even for dinner after practices. It's just not on," says Steve de la Zilwa, the director. Nimmi agrees with him, "After practices I just need to go home and unwind." Rohan sums it up when he says that, 'It is without a doubt the most difficult thing that I have ever done." What makes it all the more difficult is the fact that there are only three characters in the entire play. 'Four,' protests Rohan referring to Steve, 'it's just that he won't be with us on stage." "Steve's incredible. The way he sees things is very special," says Ranmali. "And the chemistry amongst the cast is wonderful. And it has to be to make a play like this work. We're almost like parasites living and feeding off each other. The play has nothing other than the players to concentrate on. There will be no elaborate sets or lighting, no distractions." Anna Weiss also marks sort of a comeback for two of these four people, even though they don't want to make a big issue of it. It's been more than ten years since the Sri Lankan stage has seen an effort by either Rohan Ponniah or Steve de la Zilwa. "The last thing I did on stage here was Chekhov's "The Swan Song', which I did for Richard's (De Zoysa) memorial," recalls Rohan. "The Little Shop of Horrors' was the last production I did," says Steve. "That was in 1986." The story of how Anna Weiss, which is a relatively new play, came to the local stage is also an interesting one. "I went to the Edinburgh festival with Ranmali last year. The condition was that I came back with a play to do here," explains Steve. "Of course, Anna Weiss was a natural choice. It was the biggest thing on the fringes at last year's festival. It was making a lot of noise and everybody was talking about it." "Of course, when I saw it I cast it immediately. I wasn't looking at it from a point of view of relevance or anything like that. It was just a damn good script, and the roles are an actor's dream." The rest as they say, is history soon to be made. Anna Weiss and the issues that it attempts to deal with maybe is an indication of a maturing of Sri Lankan theatre. Even though it is too early to say if the local stage will be the next hotbed of political expression and social awareness, the possibility is still intriguing. "Theatre is an evolving tradition," says Ranmali. "What they call "Awareness theatre" which deals with many social issues is already well established in many countries." But they all agree that the real test for serious theatre will be in quality. "I believe that our theatre audiences are discriminating," says Rohan. "If you give them something powerful they will appreciate it why shouldn't they?" Why not indeed? Anna Weiss goes on stage at the Bishop's College Auditorium from August 27 - 30. Tickets are available at the British Council.
More Mirror Magazine * Is the grass always greener on the other side? * What the educators say * Leaving the nest Front Page| News/Comment| Editorial/Opinion| Business| Plus |Sports |
|
![]() |
Please send your comments and suggestions on this web site to |