Drama Performances
|
For us, the place we perform is immaterial. We perform equally well in the traditional proscenium theatres, an open space or a ground, under a tree or in a threshing floor (Kamatha) always ensuring that we maintain virtuous and essences of theatre arts. We have no racial, religious or cast barriers. We believe that theatre arts should be fair and righteous and capable of making the audiences enjoy dramas while heralding the significance of peaceful coexistence in pluralistic societies. Drama Performances at the Mobile Mother Theatre Audiences of approximately 800 people are able to watch dramas in our Mobile Mother Theatre. Providing opportunities for the rural students and teachers to watch drams in the mobile theatre is one of our primary responsibilities. Teachers are encouraged to reserve seats for the students for our day time performances during school days. Children’s dramas produced by Janakaraliya are performed for the primary school children while other Janakaraliya dramas are performed for Junior and senior students quite successfully. Always large audiences flock to watch our evening performances. Often we do additional or complementary performances for the audiences that could not be accommodated in the scheduled performance or show. After each and every show there are participatory as well as critical discussions with the audiences about the dramas they watched. Drama performances at rural schools In addition to performing dramas at the Mobile Mother Theatre full time drama group conducts workshops and parallel drama performances at rural schools. If there is a suitable stage in a school building it will be used for the performances. Most of the rural schools lack facilities like halls but generally they have playgrounds. We assemble our Mobile Mini Theatres in these playgrounds for drama performances and conducting workshops. Open Theatre Performances in Villages The ‘Janakaraliya’ Full Time Drama
Group as well as the Zonel Theatre Groups perform dramas
for the villagers in far away areas. Most of these
performances happen in the night but in some of the
areas where conflict situation is acute or when
transport facilities are minimal and also in the areas
threatened by attacking wild elephants the performances
happen during he day time. Usually any open plot of land
at temples or play grounds turns out to be a Performing
Space (Rangabhoomi) for Janakaraliya Theatre Groups.
Other Performances In all the districts the ‘Janakaraliya’ travels it provides the opportunity for the traditional theatre artistes to perform their dramas or plays in the mobile theatre with the view to provide them opportunities to gain recognition as theatre art lovers amongst the social circles in their localities. This provides friendly environment and opportunities for the traditional artistes from different communities to perform on a single ‘stage’ and also the spectators from different communities to watch these performances at a single venue making it possible of exchanging views and experiences and also positive interactions amongst the communities.
We use strategies to reach out to communities and increase the participation of the audiences (1) Using the established form of theatre arts to nourish the develop the alternate theatre arts These are performed at the Proscenium Theatre In the cities. Fees for these performances are slightly above compared to the fees for performances in the ‘mobile theatres’. Spectators for these performances are from the ‘middle-class’ who could afford pay an additional fee and serves an income generating avenue for the Theatre Group. We employ mobile theatre and new or free arena formats, to reach out to the masses who have no access to Proscenium Theatre in the cities. But, we do not reject the Proscenium Theatre at all. We do our alternative practices within the established theatre format. The dramas we perform in the open theatres, in open fields and under the trees are also performed equally well in the proscenium theatres in the cities enabling our theatre group to make an earning through such performances. (2) Challenging the false values and norms of the established theatre has made us respected One such drama performed for the poor villages under the trees and in the open - ‘Charandas’- won 09 awards, including the award for best drama at the State Drama Festival in 2006 in both Sinhala and Tamil competitions. In addition, we were invited to perform our drama ‘Charandas’ at the ‘Bharath Ranga Mahothsav 2008’ in New Delhi, India. So, our revolutionary performances in the field of main stream theatre are attracting crowds to our performances everywhere. (3) Excellence through simplicity The Creativity seen in our drama
surpasses that of customary dramas performed at the
Proscenium theatres in the city. Hence no one can blame
us of performing low quality dramas for the rural poor.
The unique quality that makes our dramas different have
a special appeal among theatre goers in the provinces.
Quality is one of the reasons for the large audiences to
flock to watch performances. One positive response we
get for creating and performing dramas of excellent
quality is that parents come to watch them with their
children and other family members. Teachers also bring
their students in numbers to watch our dramas. Dramas produced by Janakaraliya:- All the dramas produced in Sinhala language are produced in Tamil language too (1) Charandas/Charandas Kallan The play "Charandas" says about the importance of exposing the "truth" for a change in the society and the power gained by the ordinary people to take decisions about their lives, their society and their future. (2) Makararaksha A translations of a Ru s sian play by
Eugini Shawatz's "The Dragon" shows a dictatorship where
civil voices are unheard and people deprived of
decision-making processes. A liberator that symbolize
the potentials of grass root people when they are given
an opportunity that defeat the dictator the dragon. (The
importance of identifying the evil inside to uproot them
to be a good member of the society and ultimately making
the society a better one.) (4) Seethambarapata/ Mayapattadai The play "Seethambara Pata" (The
Kings Invisible dress) says about the foolish decisions
taken by rulers (without the participation of the
people) and 'LIE' that dominates amongst every stratum
from top to bottom of the society (that prevents the
development of the society). (5) Devlo Gamana/Devaloha Payanam The play "Devlo Gamana" (The journey to heaven) says about the importance of liberating us from 'ignorance' and understanding the reality. (6) Mahath Hora/Periya Kallan This very light play reminds to find out or search the background of any incident before take a decision and work upon it. (7) Soru Evilla/Thein Kallan This is a children’s drama produced
by Janakaraliya. Drama is based on a story where bees
teach an unforgettable lesson to a thieving bear and a
fox trying to steal honey from their colony. Virtues of
self reliance, earning one’s living through honest ways
and means are taught by this drama. This is also a children’s drama. A Cuckoo couple lay their egg in a crow’s nest. The crow mother and father bring up the baby Cuckoo lovingly. It is focuses on love and caring of children and humane values of child care and protection. Important Note: In addition to the dramas mentioned above approximately 15 other short dramas has been produced by the Janakaraliya full time group and the zonal groups |
SEE ALSO in content
|