Stages Theatre Group

I also wish people in the audience who do understand things like that don’t just shut up and wait…:)

I enjoyed it very much. All three drama’s were thought provoking, and well acted, with a good audience (Friday). Wish i had gone and wathed the other two days and watched the forum.
Only one complaint – AC was poor…..

Check Point the Play

Managed to catch the much talked about production in town on it’s final day – Check Point. Thought provoking to say the least, brilliant production where the Actors did a splendid job I must say as a whole.

All in all GOOD SHOW!! Worth every Penny!! (the best way my little vocabulary can describe the play, rather than getting into all posh posh words)

more on my blog post

I’m not Sri Lanka’s foremost expert on theatre. And I’m not part of the elite who go watch every single play that hit’s Colombo. And I’m not an expert critic.

The Last Bus Eke Kathawa: How we’ve forgotten. I was just four years old when the “Bheeshanayas” were on, but I’ve heard the personal stories from people around me. From my father, who knew a lot of people, and followed everything. My mother, who was in the plantation sector, who travelled extensively even during troubled times.

People going missing. Heads on sticks. Tyres and petrol. Troopers and Jeeps coming in the middle of the night. Curfew, government backed or not. Free sex to the powered ones. And, just seventeen years down the line, how people have moved ahead. How we, don’t relfect upon the past. How the ones who committed these crimes, thrive. How the rest rots.

24 Hours: Brilliant performance. Quite disturbing at times, and won’t recommend small ones watching the play. But the thing that struck me was, how oblivious we are to things that happen arount us, and how quickly move on.

Forum Theatre: Are we (Sinhalese) insensitive to the issues faced by the Tamils? Can this insensitivity, be attributed to the fact that it’s the Sinhalese who make life a bit tough for the Tamils, or does in come from the lack of empathy?

But an interesting this I noted was, all the characters in the scene had a justifiable reason for their actions, past and present.

Jagath, sees young army personnel coming in wounded everyday. He sees death, and he hates the one who causes death.

Prakash had the same reason. He saw death, and he didn’t want any more lives lost. And his thoughts and ideals will be against the one who caused death.

Three good, thought provoking performances. Hats off.

Aacharya I was actually going to ask if you had seen the play. Glad you did. I understand that ‘identification’ is an issue for you as it was for the Rajiv character, although maybe in a completely different sense.

However, you raise the very pertinent issue of the fact that some issues were completely missed by the audience. You are right – and yet you are too harsh, as some of the issues require a great deal of essentialism to understand. They are issues which I can only appreciate and acknowledge – but not actually empathise with. And this is after several weeks of discussions, characterisation, debate and consensus. It is impossible to expect audiences, most of whom do not have the same archive of knowledge and experience you do – to understand some issues to the level at which you do. Even so, I think a great majority of people tried – and as such, the forum was a success.

Viz the laughter you point out at inappropriate moments. It has been a phenomenon of SL theatre in as long as I can remember. It is a manifestation of an audience uncomfortable with itself that takes refuge in laughter. It should not, and this I say very confidently, be viewed as a trivialisation but contrarily, as a reaction to something that the audience doesn’t know how to react to.

You say (hopefully with your tongue in your cheek) that it was not worthy of your response. This offends me. We must all do what we can. And as a theatre group we did. The ball then passes over the net to your court as an individual in an audience. While you may view the understanding of issues by a vast number of the audience as infantile, it does not excuse your non – participation, especially given your stance on the issues discussed. Debate within the audience is to be encouraged. Theatre is a tool – use it my friend.

Enjoyed Checkpoint immensely.
Watched on the opening night.
Sorry could not fill out the comment from was without pen or pencil.
Gehan you did a superb job. I particularly was
impressed with your code switching (from Sinhala to English).The transition was very natural and you were @ ease with both English and Sinhala. This proves the versatility as an actor.
in the forum theatre – the protagonist was well placed. so were the other actors. A suggestion was if there was a message conveyed.
i am saying this because mental health is an unspoken topic. this must be addressed in the topical context of the escalation of stress factors. Stress is a precipitating factor in mostpsychiatric disorders.
Pl kep me posted on fiture vevnts.
if you need a pre review forum count me in

(This was written on wednesday but for some reason this blog keeps refusing to publish the comment.Sigh.)

Just came home after the play. Have much to say but will save much of it for a blog entry.

The first play with Gihan was “so so” for me. I thought his transitions were brillant, especially the ones where he did it while facing the audience. But there were problems with his articulation which made it difficult to hear some parts of dialogue. I expected a better story line but once again I must say that Gihan was just awesome.

I absolutely loved the second play. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Much respect to each and everyone who was part of its creation, I especially liked the part with Tracy and Nimmi. I actually have nothing bad to say about the second play. I hope it will be shown more and be used to remind people of the “strangely normal lives” they (we) lead these days.

Forum theater dealt with the Ethnic Conflict. It was personal to me and I loved the way the complexities of a mixed marriage began to show as the play unfolded. The conclusion was, to me, perfect because each character could be justified for his/her actions and words and that is the exact dilemma we face everyday. Every time my boyfriend or my friends go through shit because they are Tamil I want to scream out that they haven’t done anything wrong to be viewed in a bad light. But others also justify themselves and it becomes a never ending cycle. I tell my boyfriend that I understand and am part of what he goes through but do/am I really? Will I ever understand the full extent of it? Hell no, who am I kidding?

The audience was quite good though some didn’t seem to comprehend some facts like exploring the ideas and perceptions. I did not participate because the topic was too personal for me but those idiots at the back who kept shouting out whatever that came into their heads also could have done people a favour and shut their mouths. Some people laughed at things I thought they should not have laughed at but there I’m subjective so each to their own. (I decided not mention a certain pompous ass of a thespian in the audience who tried, not for the first time (and certainly not the last), to show that he knows best.)

The venue seems like a good one for plays of this sort because unlike most other places I’ve been to, there was a sense of intimacy within the audience. So all in all, Checkpoint was worth the 2 1/2 hours. Kudos to everyone who had the privilege of being a part of it.

Dear Ruwanthi
I learnt from Buddhika Dhamayanta that you were trying to contact me for some reason.
I am still in Australia.
Here is my email.
dhananjayakaru@hotmail.com
Cheers
Dhananjaya Karunarathne

I watched your play in Chennai when you had performed during the Hindu Metroplus theatre festival. Found it very interesting and refreshing. I’ve also written a review of your play in my blog
(http://nikhilsmusings.blogspot.com), although I didn’t exactly remember the first play. Anyway, great work. Keep it going, and do make another visit to Chennai sometime.

very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce