03rd June, 2010
on
3.00/6.30 p.m.
@
Buddhi Mandapaya Auditorium, Polonnaruwa.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Then and now, enter ‘The Dictator’
Sunday April 04, 2010
Well-known maverick of the Sinhala cinema and theatre, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake shares his views on his politically charged play “Ekadhipathi” and the future of serious art in Sri Lanka
Dharmasiri Bandaranayake is not a man to mince his words. And his outspokenness is not confined to the fiery, controversial dialogues he delivers on stage. Seated at a table at the Cultural Foundation he set up five years ago in a quiet neighbourhood in Nugegoda, it takes little prompting to draw him into a conversation about his work as a dramatist and filmmaker and the wider role he feels his tribe has to play in Sri Lankan society if it’s to come out of the ‘cultureless’ pit it has got itself into.
“My medium is cinema /drama and I have a responsibility as an artist to express my views on what I feel is happening in our society and awaken the public to the dangers they face,” Bandaranayake says.And what he has to say he says with passion and intensity be it in a stage play such as “Ekadipathi ”(The Dictator) that touches at the very political nerve of the country or via cinema through films such as “Hansa Vilak” (Swan Lake), which explores relationships that exceed the boundaries set by social traditions or norms.
Friday, March 26, 2010
පාදඩ සංස්කෘතිය නිසාත් අප අවතැන් වුණා- ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක
70 දශකයේ “ඒකා අධිපති” බිහිවීම සහ 2010 ට එහි සාකල්‍යය ම ගැළැපීම තේරුම් ගන්නේ කොහොම ද?
මේකේ අත්පිටපත මගේ අතින් ලියැවෙන්නේ 1975 දී. 76 අපේ‍්‍රල් මාසයේදී පුහුණුවීම් පටන්ගත්තා. නොවැම්බර් මාසය වෙනකොට ප්‍රදර්ශනය කරනවා. මේ නාට්‍ය නැවත අවුරුදු 33 කට පස්සේ ආපහු ගේන්න හේතුව මොකක්දැයි බොහෝ දෙනෙක් මගෙන් අහද්දී සමහර විට ඒකට මං දුන්නු උත්තර මට ම පැහැදිලි නෑ. සමහර වෙලාවට මගෙන් එහෙම අහන එකමත් නාට්‍යය වර්තමානයට දක්වන සම්බන්ධයට උත්තරයක් කියලයි මට හිතෙන්නේ.
නාට්‍ය පිටපත ලියැවෙන්න බලපාන පසුබිම මොකද්ද?
71 කැරැල්ලත් එක හේතුවක්. මං එතකොට උසස් පෙළ හදාරන ශිෂ්‍යයෙක්. කැරැල්ල මෙහෙයවපු ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණට මගේ කිසිම සම්බන්ධයක් තිබුණේ නෑ. ඒත් ඒ කැරැල්ලට මගේ යහළු යෙහෙළියන් බොහෝ දෙනෙක් සම්බන්ධ වුණා. ඔවුන් ගේ ඒ අත්දැකීම් මගෙත් එක්ක බෙදාහදා ගත්තා. ඒ ගොඩක් දෙනෙකුට අත්විඳින්නට සිද්ධ වුණු කටුක අත්දැකීම් මාව කම්පනයට ලක් කළා. මුළු සමාජය ම දැඩි අස්ථාවරභාවයකට තල්ලු වුණා. උසස් පෙළින් පස්සේ විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයට යනවා කියන බලාපොරොත්තු පවා විභාගේ ලියන කාලෙදි ම සුන් කර ගන්න සිදුවුණා.
මොකද ඒ වෙද්දී විශ්ව විද්‍යාල කියන්නෙ 71 කැරැල්ලට සම්බන්ධ තරුණ තරුණියන් ගාල් කරල තියපු සිර කඳවුරු. මේ තත්ත්වය නිසා මං හොරණ විද්‍යාරත්නයෙන් උසස් පෙළට ලියලා ඉස්කෝලේ යන කාලේ ඉඳන් ම මට නාට්‍යය කලාවට තිබුණු ළෙන්ගතු කමත් එක්ක ම කොළඹ එන්න සිදුවුණා. මට රස්සාවක් හම්බ වුණා. ඒ කාලේ විදිහට සැලැකිය යුතු පඩියකුත් හම්බ වුණු හින්දා වියදම් ටික පියවාගෙන නාට්‍ය බලන්න, රස්තියාදු ගහන්න වෙලාවකුත් හම්බ වුණා. ඒකේ ප්‍රතිඵලයක් හැටියට හෙන්රි ජයසේනයන් “මකරා” නමින් වේදිකාවට ගෙන ආ යෙව්ගිනි ස්වෝට්ස් ගේ නාට්‍යයේ රඟපාන්න මට අවස්ථාව ලැබුණා. “මකරා”ට සම්බන්ධ වීමට අවස්ථාව ලැබීම ම මට “ඒකා අධිපති” කරන්නට අවශ්‍ය වුණු සම්පත් බොහොමයක් ලබා ගන්න හැකි වුණු අවස්ථාවක් වුණා.
අද “ඒකා අධිපති” පේ‍්‍රක්ෂාගාරය ගැන යමක් කිව හැකි ද?
නරඹන සෑම කෙනෙක් ම වගේ සියුම් ප්‍රශ්නයක් නොපෙනෙන්න අහනවා. ඒ එදා නාට්‍යයට අදට ගැළැපෙන ලෙස වෙනස් කළා ද කියලා. 75 දී මං ලීව මුල් පිටපතේ එක ඉස්පිල්ලක්, පාපිල්ලක් මං වෙනස් කරලා නෑ. සමස්ත සමාජයක් ෆැසිස්ට්වාදී ග්‍රහණයට හසුවුණාට පස්සේ, ඒ සමාජය ම එකී පාලන තන්ත්‍රයට අශිර්වාද කරමින් ම එහි ගොදුරක් බවට පත් වූවාට පසු “ගැළවීම” කියන්නෙ ම ඊට එහා යන මහා ක්‍රියාදාමයක්. අද දවසේ මගෙන් කවුරු හරි මේක අද ලියවුණු එකක්ද, නැත්නම් අලුත් කෑලි මේකට එකතු කළා ද කියල අහද්දී ඒක එහෙම වෙන්නේ නාට්‍ය, සමාජය තුළ වග විභාග කරමින් වෙමින් තියෙන නිසයි. ඒක සුබ දෙයක්. ඒත් පේ‍්‍රක්ෂකයා වර්තමාන දේශපාලන වටපිටාවේ ඒ විදිහට ප්‍රශ්න කිරීම කලාකාරයෝ විදිහට අපට අනතුරු දායකයි.
ඔබ කියන අනතුරුදායක බව ඔබගේ වෙනත් නිර්මාණවලටත් යම් යම් අවස්ථාවල බලපැවැත්වුණා නොවේ ද?
ඔව්. 1976 දී “ඒකා අධිපති” කියන නම අර්බුදයක් නොවුණට 2010 දී පෝස්ටරය ඇලවෙන තැන ඉඳල ම අර්බුදය පටන් ගන්නවා. එක් එක් දේශපාලන න්‍යාය පත්‍රයන් ඇතුළේ නාට්‍ය ප්‍රශ්න කිරීමට ලක්වෙනවා. කලා කෘතියක් ඒ විදිහට ප්‍රශ්න කිරීමට ලක්වීම කලාව ඇතුළේ “ප්‍රබල සන්නිවේදනයක්”. මේ අත්දැකීම ම මට ධවල භීෂණ “යක්ෂාගමනය” “ට්‍රෝජන් කාන්තාවෝ” නාට්‍යය වලදීත් මුහුණ දෙන්න වෙනවා. “ට්‍රෝජන් කාන්තාවෝ” නාට්‍යයේ රඟපෑව අයගේ ගෙවල් දොරවල් ගිනි තිබ්බා. සංගීත ශිල්පියාට තර්ජනය කරලා නිහඬ කෙරෙව්වා.
වර්තමානයේ නාට්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රය සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඔබේ අදහස කෙබඳු ද?
නාට්‍ය කලාව කියන්නේ වර්තමානයේ අන්තයට ම පිරිහුණු කලාවක්. රාජ්‍ය මට්ටමින් එක එක උදාර වචන, උදාර වැඩපිළිවෙළවල් තිබුණට සැබෑ අර්ථයෙන් ගත්ත ම නාට්‍ය කලාව තියෙන්නේ ඉතා පහළ අඩියකයි.
ඔබගේ “ඒකා අධිපති” නාට්‍යයේ දෘෂ්ටිය පිළිබඳ සැලැකිල්ල යොමු කිරීමේදී පෙනී යනවා එහි කැරලි නායකයා සමස්ත සමාජය ම වෙනස් කරන්නට කැරලි ගසා තම බිරියගේ පතිවෘතය රැකගැනීම කියන කාරණය සමාජ අරගලයට වඩා වටින බවට පෙන්වා දෙන බව.
මරණය කැඳවා ගන්නක්. 70 දශකයේ දී කොහොම වුණත් අවසානයේ 2010 දීත් ඒක යථාර්ථයක් ද? ඇත්තට ම ඒක එහෙම ම තමයි. බොහෝ කැරලි කෝලාහලයන් දිහා බැලුව ම හරි ම පුද්ගලවාදී ප්‍රවේශයන් තමයි දකින්නට තියෙන්නේ. බොහො ම සුළු පුද්ගලික අභිමතාර්ථයන් නිසා තමයි බොහෝ ඒවා පරාජය වුණේ. ‘ඒකා අධිපති’ ඇතුළේ වුණත් වීරයෙක් නෑ. වීරයා මැරිලා. ඒත් මං මේ නාට්‍ය ගෙනාවේ විප්ලවීය අදහස් සමාජගත කරන්නවත්, මේකෙන් ලාංකීය විප්ලවය කරන්න උගන්නන්නවත් නෙවෙයි. වීරයා මැරිලා වුණත් ඒ ගෙනියන අරගලකාරී ස්වභාවය අතරමං වෙනවා. ඒ අතරමං වන ප්‍රවේශය තුළ ම පේ‍්‍රක්ෂකයාට තීරණයක් ගන්න දීලා අපි නාට්‍යය නතර කරනවා.
දැන් දැන් පේ‍්‍රක්ෂකයන් ඒ දිහා සවිඥානක ව බලනවා කියලයි මට හිතෙන්නේ. අපේ රටවල ෆැසිස්ට්වාදී පාලනයක යම් යම් ඉරියව් හෝ ගතිකයන් දකින්නට තිබුණත් එවැනි පාලනයක් මුළුමනින් ම ගොඩනඟා ගැනීමට අපහසුයි. ඒක එක්තරා විදිහක ලාංකීය ජන විඥානයේ තියෙන ප්‍රබලත්වයේ ලක්ෂණයක්. යම් සමාජයක් දුර්වල වෙන්න වෙන්න තමයි ඒකාධිපතිත්වයක් බිහි වෙන්නේ. බ්රෙෂ්ට් ගේ අදහස් ඇසුරෙන් කිවහොත් අපේ ම දුර්වලකම් නිසා තමයි අපට වඩා දුර්වලයෙක් අපි ව මර්දනය කරගෙන නැඟිටින්නේ.
ලෝකයේ දුබලයෙක් මිස ප්‍රබලයෙක් කිසිදවසක මිනිසුන් මර්දනය කරගෙන නැඟිටින්න උත්සාහ කරන්නේ නෑ. මේ යුගයේ අපට බර්ටෝල් බ්රෙෂ්ට් ව අධ්‍යයනය කරනවා නම් ඔහුගෙන් ඉගෙන ගන්න දේවල් ගොඩක් තියෙනවා. 1976 දී මං අතින් “ඒකා අධිපති” බිහිවී 94 වෙද්දී “බ්‍රෙෂ්ට්ගේ නාට්යයක්” “යක්ෂාගමනය” හැටියට මගෙන් වේදිකාවට එනවා.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Shows on March 2010
12th March
10.30 a.m. /6.30 p.m.
@
Kaluthara Town Hall.
14th March
3.00/7.00 p.m.
@
John de Silva Memorial Theatre,Colombo.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
EKA ADHIPATHI NEXT SHOWS
12th February,
11.00 a.m./6.30 p.m.
@
Provincial Council Auditorium,Kurunegala.
21st February,
3.00 p.m./6.30 p.m.
@
Bandaranayake Vidyalaya,Gampaha.
26th February,
10.30 a.m./6.30 p.m.
@
Youth Centre, Anuradhapura.
27th February
2.30 p.m./6.30 p.m
@
Sudasuna, Chillaw.
A Letter from a Viewer
Dear Mr. Bandaranayake
I had come for the show with my family and enjoyed it well.
I had first seen your play when i was a student at Dharmasoka college , Ambalangoda somewhere in 1977. I still can recollect that Ambalangoda Town hall was jam packed on that day. We as the regional dramatists then were influenced by "Eka adhipathi" . I just can remember one incident which happened in 1978. We had produced a stage drama called "Prabuu" for the drama competition conducted by the Youth council. I had played the main role of the play. The director of the play who was the script writer too wanted me to perform like "Dharmasiri Bandaranayake" . I have done my part up to his expectation. The judges were the great Henry Jayasena and Dr. Solomon Fonseka. Our play was thoroughly criticized by the judges as it was a carbon copy of "Eka Adhipathi" . But I was commended and encouraged by the judges and also warned me not to imitate anyone on the stage. I still remember that great Henry Jayasena had said that " we do not want duplicate Dharmasiri Bandaranayake". After that i have followed an acting course conducted by Dr. Solomon Fonseka.
"Eka Adhipathi" undoubtedly is a milestone in the theater of Sri Lanka. I strongly believe that the young dramatists should watch this play again and again as this is a classic example for them to study an overall stage production.
Let me wish you all the success in future.
thanks N regards
Jagath de Silva
Manager (Media & Publicity)
Board of Investment of Sri Lanka
Friday, January 15, 2010
EKA ADHIPATHI
The Dictator
Written & Directed by
Dharmasiri Bandaranayake
New Production 2009
Very few Sinhala stage plays have stood the test of time
among which 'Eka Adhipathi' (The Dictator)
of Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka stands out as an
exceptional experience by two generations of
theatregoers spanning from 1970s to the present day.
among which 'Eka Adhipathi' (The Dictator)
of Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka stands out as an
exceptional experience by two generations of
theatregoers spanning from 1970s to the present day.
In 1976, it won seven awards including
Best Actor whose role was played by him
and Best Original Production at the State Drama Festival.
From its inaugural staging till 1993,
Best Actor whose role was played by him
and Best Original Production at the State Drama Festival.
From its inaugural staging till 1993,
the play continuously mesmerized the Sinhala audience
with 1400 shows being successfully
performed all over the island.
with 1400 shows being successfully
performed all over the island.
"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
is the motto Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka
tries to convey through this political satire.
The very fact that this piece of art
has managed to keep the immense attraction
of the Sinhala audience for such a long time implies
the inability of the Sri Lankan society
to come to grips with the brutal nature
of power even after three decades of democratic exercise,
thereby keeping the validity of the satirical issue intact.
The dichotomy between the ruler and the ruled
in its most crude form has not changed,
and it still perpetuates itself to puzzle the society at large,
hence the relevance of Eka Adhipathi (The Dictator) even today.
is the motto Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka
tries to convey through this political satire.
The very fact that this piece of art
has managed to keep the immense attraction
of the Sinhala audience for such a long time implies
the inability of the Sri Lankan society
to come to grips with the brutal nature
of power even after three decades of democratic exercise,
thereby keeping the validity of the satirical issue intact.
The dichotomy between the ruler and the ruled
in its most crude form has not changed,
and it still perpetuates itself to puzzle the society at large,
hence the relevance of Eka Adhipathi (The Dictator) even today.
Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is an artist who strives
to engage his audience with burning issues
of socio-political importance in order to make that audience
not only into an entertaining collective
but also into an active mass of conscious agents of social change.
to engage his audience with burning issues
of socio-political importance in order to make that audience
not only into an entertaining collective
but also into an active mass of conscious agents of social change.
In short, art for him is a joy only to the extent
of its being a catalyst for responsible social intervention.
His later productions,
'Makarakshaya'
(The Dragon by Soviet writer Yevgeny Shvarts-1985),
(The Dragon by Soviet writer Yevgeny Shvarts-1985),
'Dhawala Bheeshana'
(The Men Without Shadows by Jean Paul Satre-1988 ),
(The Men Without Shadows by Jean Paul Satre-1988 ),
'Yakshagamanaya'
(The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht-1994 )
(The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht-1994 )
and 'Trojan Kanthavo'
(The Trojan Women by Euripides-2000 )
(The Trojan Women by Euripides-2000 )
attest to this conviction.
Eka Adhipathi
The Dictator
1976 - 2010
In this lacklustre period of Sinhala drama, the new production of
'Eka Adhipathi' (The Dictator-2009 ) touring again in major towns
would definitely be an aesthetic solace strong enough
to lure the people back to the theatre,
coupled with a powerful voice no longer to be ignored.
would definitely be an aesthetic solace strong enough
to lure the people back to the theatre,
coupled with a powerful voice no longer to be ignored.
Next performances in Colombo
21st January 2010 at 3.00, 7.00 p.m,
Elphinston Theatre, Colombo 10
06th February 2010 at 7.00 p.m.
Lionel Wendt, Colombo 07
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
2010 Schedule
NEXT SHOW:
21st January 2010
3.00 PM & 7.00 PM
at the Elphinstone Theatre
Tickets are now available at the Elphonstone Theatre, Sarasaviya book shop and Sadeepa book shop.
21st January 2010
3.00 PM & 7.00 PM
at the Elphinstone Theatre
Tickets are now available at the Elphonstone Theatre, Sarasaviya book shop and Sadeepa book shop.
SHOWS IN FEBRUARY:
1st February - 7.00 p.m.
University of Sri Lanka - Peradeniya, Kandy
6th February 2010 - 7.00 p.m.
Lionel Wendt - Colombo
12th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Local Government Auditorium - Kurunegala
26th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Youth Centre - Anuradhapura
27th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Sudasuna - Chillaw
1st February - 7.00 p.m.
University of Sri Lanka - Peradeniya, Kandy
6th February 2010 - 7.00 p.m.
Lionel Wendt - Colombo
12th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Local Government Auditorium - Kurunegala
26th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Youth Centre - Anuradhapura
27th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Sudasuna - Chillaw
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The ‘Angry Young Man’ is back - Dinidu Karunanayake
Aristotle, the first scholar to theorise stagecraft in his legendary text poetics written in the 5th Century BC, clarifies the role of the poet/playwright as being in a prophetic mission. It is a universal journey in which the poet/playwright sees into the future. In Sri Lanka, a 25-year-pld rebel par excellence ventured on a similar mission in 1976 with his debut play Eka Adhipathi which reverberates with its timeless, universal criticism of corrupt politics, proving the playwright’s prowess. This is an interview with the rebel on the theatre Dharmasiri Bandaranayake who brings his highly acclaimed Eka Adhipahti back to theatre after 33 years.
By Dinidu Karunanayake
Q: As you believe, an artiste makes an attempt to express himself and to read ‘life’ through his creative mission of which your first stage work Eka Adhipathi (The Dictator) is a good example. What were the forces that motivated you as an amateur in 1976?
A: I entered theatre as an actor. Theatre has been the most dazzling medium in my life since my schooling time. I obtained much knowledge from the teachers I associated with. From the outset, I realised that I was being moulded by the training of drama in my creative sphere as well as personal life. While I gained immense pleasure and satisfaction out of theatre activities, I did not want to be a mere actor. Making an attempt to give life to good characters became a duty as well as responsibility for me. In this regard, I must mention three playwrights who had an enormous influence on me - Dayananada Goonewardena, Henry Jayasena and Sugathapala de Silva. Among the work I received to exhibit my talent, I must gratefully remember Makara by Henry Jayasena in which I was trained for the character called ‘Lanslot.’ My limbs, my voice, my gestures were all trained well for this character which was totally different from the character I play in Eka Adhipathi.
When I got involved in that play, the 1971 rebellion had just been over. It was the 1971 rebellion that devastated our education and the whole future. By the time I finished schooling, my dreams of university entrance had been shattered against a backdrop in which universities had become jails and rehabilitation centres. In 1971, I got a job as a government clerk, and this period was a turning point in my life. While all my future expectations had collapsed, the only recuperative power existed in theatre. As I feel, the ’71 rebellion and its context, the Sirimavo Bandaranaike regime and its collapse, the betrayal of the leftist movement etc. which gave birth to a political upheaval in the wider context had created a psychological tension within me. It was this tension that propelled me into my first stage creation, Eka Adhipathi at the age of 25. Initially I scripted this as Ghaathanaya (‘Murder’). The play was premiered at the Lumbini Theatre on November 25 and 26, 1976. The audience response was enthralling. Interestingly, the critics were polarised into two extremes as some argued the play as an excellent piece while some were of the view that it was a bad piece of work. Both types of criticism were important for me as an emerging playwright in terms of guidance which contributed to my successive work.
Q: The term ‘Eka Adhipathi’ is not confined to the protagonist per se, but it transcends to some other characters such as Malcolm the junior (the protagonist’s son). How do you perceive the contemporary political milieu of 1970s that paved the way for this play, and what is your reaction to the contemporary left-wing and right-wing political movements?
A: After Ms. Sirimavo Bandaranaike came to power, she opted for an alliance with the pioneers of the leftist political movement, and this existed since 1963. By 1970, the latter had much trust in the Bandaranaike administration, and accepted ministerial positions in her government. We, government servants, were fed with stuff like manioc with the so-called purpose of developing the country. At the same time we were informed that those who imposed the regulations were not consuming the same stuff. As I see, the ruling class is the one that burdens the ruled with innumerable burdens while living comfortably. This is called democracy. During the rebellion those from our generation who got involved were eliminated. This contemporary milieu had much impact on my play. The ‘super-speedy’ characters I have created in Eka Adhipathi were, in fact, drawn from my contemporary time.
Today, I do not look at this play as an antique work. Many spectators praise that I had created a prophetic work more than three decades ago of which the dialogues bear relevance even today. In the latest production, I haven’t changed even a minute detail of the original script.
The reason for me to re-stage it today is not because an election is forthcoming. We stared rehearsals around five months ago.
Q: This play is located in a Western context in regard to the fictional characters and also references to the real political figures to such an extent that the spectator may feel it is an adaptation of a foreign play. Why did you opt for this technique? Were you influenced by the Western theatre?
A: By 1971, institutions such as the British Council were staging many good theatrical pieces than earlier. Sometimes we did not understand their language because we were part of a generation that kept the English language aloof. However, their alluring quality, mode of casting and stage direction etc. inspired and impacted us a lot. This does not mean that we tried to imitate the Western theatre. As I think, drama is not a discipline of our own, but it came from ‘that side.’ Once it came to us, it could be moulded in accordance with the requirements of the Asian context. In the casting in Eka Adhipathi, I made an attempt to transcend beyond the locally prevalent mode of casting. Conversely, we were also highly influenced by the local playwrights such as Sugathapala de Silva, Dhamma Jagoda and Upali Attanayake.
By Dinidu Karunanayake
Q: As you believe, an artiste makes an attempt to express himself and to read ‘life’ through his creative mission of which your first stage work Eka Adhipathi (The Dictator) is a good example. What were the forces that motivated you as an amateur in 1976?A: I entered theatre as an actor. Theatre has been the most dazzling medium in my life since my schooling time. I obtained much knowledge from the teachers I associated with. From the outset, I realised that I was being moulded by the training of drama in my creative sphere as well as personal life. While I gained immense pleasure and satisfaction out of theatre activities, I did not want to be a mere actor. Making an attempt to give life to good characters became a duty as well as responsibility for me. In this regard, I must mention three playwrights who had an enormous influence on me - Dayananada Goonewardena, Henry Jayasena and Sugathapala de Silva. Among the work I received to exhibit my talent, I must gratefully remember Makara by Henry Jayasena in which I was trained for the character called ‘Lanslot.’ My limbs, my voice, my gestures were all trained well for this character which was totally different from the character I play in Eka Adhipathi.
When I got involved in that play, the 1971 rebellion had just been over. It was the 1971 rebellion that devastated our education and the whole future. By the time I finished schooling, my dreams of university entrance had been shattered against a backdrop in which universities had become jails and rehabilitation centres. In 1971, I got a job as a government clerk, and this period was a turning point in my life. While all my future expectations had collapsed, the only recuperative power existed in theatre. As I feel, the ’71 rebellion and its context, the Sirimavo Bandaranaike regime and its collapse, the betrayal of the leftist movement etc. which gave birth to a political upheaval in the wider context had created a psychological tension within me. It was this tension that propelled me into my first stage creation, Eka Adhipathi at the age of 25. Initially I scripted this as Ghaathanaya (‘Murder’). The play was premiered at the Lumbini Theatre on November 25 and 26, 1976. The audience response was enthralling. Interestingly, the critics were polarised into two extremes as some argued the play as an excellent piece while some were of the view that it was a bad piece of work. Both types of criticism were important for me as an emerging playwright in terms of guidance which contributed to my successive work.
Q: The term ‘Eka Adhipathi’ is not confined to the protagonist per se, but it transcends to some other characters such as Malcolm the junior (the protagonist’s son). How do you perceive the contemporary political milieu of 1970s that paved the way for this play, and what is your reaction to the contemporary left-wing and right-wing political movements?
A: After Ms. Sirimavo Bandaranaike came to power, she opted for an alliance with the pioneers of the leftist political movement, and this existed since 1963. By 1970, the latter had much trust in the Bandaranaike administration, and accepted ministerial positions in her government. We, government servants, were fed with stuff like manioc with the so-called purpose of developing the country. At the same time we were informed that those who imposed the regulations were not consuming the same stuff. As I see, the ruling class is the one that burdens the ruled with innumerable burdens while living comfortably. This is called democracy. During the rebellion those from our generation who got involved were eliminated. This contemporary milieu had much impact on my play. The ‘super-speedy’ characters I have created in Eka Adhipathi were, in fact, drawn from my contemporary time.
Today, I do not look at this play as an antique work. Many spectators praise that I had created a prophetic work more than three decades ago of which the dialogues bear relevance even today. In the latest production, I haven’t changed even a minute detail of the original script.
The reason for me to re-stage it today is not because an election is forthcoming. We stared rehearsals around five months ago.
Q: This play is located in a Western context in regard to the fictional characters and also references to the real political figures to such an extent that the spectator may feel it is an adaptation of a foreign play. Why did you opt for this technique? Were you influenced by the Western theatre?A: By 1971, institutions such as the British Council were staging many good theatrical pieces than earlier. Sometimes we did not understand their language because we were part of a generation that kept the English language aloof. However, their alluring quality, mode of casting and stage direction etc. inspired and impacted us a lot. This does not mean that we tried to imitate the Western theatre. As I think, drama is not a discipline of our own, but it came from ‘that side.’ Once it came to us, it could be moulded in accordance with the requirements of the Asian context. In the casting in Eka Adhipathi, I made an attempt to transcend beyond the locally prevalent mode of casting. Conversely, we were also highly influenced by the local playwrights such as Sugathapala de Silva, Dhamma Jagoda and Upali Attanayake.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Reviving Eka Adipathi -Samodh Thaveesha
The senior playwright, director and actor Dharmasiri Bandaranaike has once again burst into the stage with the new production of his acclaimed play, Eka Adipathi.
Bandaranaike reveals that the society in turmoil after the 1971 insurrection had influenced him to write the play. He goes on to say that time was equivalent to now where an election was announced.
A dire flood strikes the country ruled by the Fascist ruler, Macclum. But he remains totally ignorant of the victimized and tries to secure his power. He gives orders to cut a finger of every citizen.
A young boy, Antonio, was also imprisoned by him. Antonio was used by his brother, Walter to raise awareness of the plight of flood victims. The tyrant also poisons his army chief and confers the title to his son.
Antonio's flood-affected family members were brought before the tyrant accused of gathering in public. He lets his generals enjoy with the daughter of the family and she dies of their harassments. The family's head is also murdered there.
Bandaranaike reveals that the society in turmoil after the 1971 insurrection had influenced him to write the play. He goes on to say that time was equivalent to now where an election was announced.
A dire flood strikes the country ruled by the Fascist ruler, Macclum. But he remains totally ignorant of the victimized and tries to secure his power. He gives orders to cut a finger of every citizen. A young boy, Antonio, was also imprisoned by him. Antonio was used by his brother, Walter to raise awareness of the plight of flood victims. The tyrant also poisons his army chief and confers the title to his son.
Antonio's flood-affected family members were brought before the tyrant accused of gathering in public. He lets his generals enjoy with the daughter of the family and she dies of their harassments. The family's head is also murdered there.
කොටි හිතවාදීන් ගේ කඳවුරට මාව තල්ලූ කරන්න එපා ! - ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක
කොටි හිතවාදීන් ගේ කඳවුරට
මාව තල්ලූ කරන්න එපා ! - ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක
ප්‍රශ්නය - මේ රටේ පැවැතුණු දේශපාලන ක්‍රමයට විරෝධය පළ කරමින් ඔබ විසින් 1976 දී කරලියට රැගෙන ආ "ඒකා අධිපති" නමැති වේදිකා නාට්‍ය දේශපාලන ප්‍රහසනයක්‌. 1971 කැරැල්ල පැවැති යුගයේදී මේ රටේ බිහිවෙමින් තිබුණු ෆැසිස්ට්වාදී පාලන තන්ත්‍රයට මුහුණදෙන ජනයාගේ ඉරණම මේ නාට්‍ය කෙරෙන් විද්‍යමාන වෙනවා. එහෙත් ආද්‍යතන සමාජයේ විවිධ දේශපාලන විපරීතයන් සිදුවුවත් එදා ඔබ සංවාදයට බඳුන් කළ ආකාරයේ බිහිසුණු දේශපාලන වටපිටාවක්‌ අද දක්‌නට නැහැ. මේ නිසා "ඒකා අධිපති" වසර තිස්‌තුනකට පසු හදිසියේම ප්‍රතිනිෂ්පාදනය වීම පිළිබඳ සැක සංඛා මතුවෙනවා. ඔබ මේ ඉටු කරමින් ඉන්නේ රාජ්‍ය නොවන සංවිධානයක කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුවක්‌ ද?
පිළිතුර- "ඒකා අධිපති" 76 නාට්යයක්. 1976 මේ නාට්‍යය ලාංකේය සමාජයේ ප්‍රදර්ශනය වන මොහොත අද හා සමානයි. නමුත් වකවානු දෙකක්‌. අද වෙන කොට මේ නාට්‍යයට අවුරුදු තිස්‌තුනක්‌ ගතවෙලා තිබෙනවා. නමුත් ඇතැම් දීන දේශපාලනඥයන් සහ අන්තවාදී මාධ්‍ය කණ්‌ඩායම් මේ නාට්‍යයට විරුද්ධව විවිධ මත පළ කරනවා. මේ ඊනියා අඳෝනාව නැඟෙන්නේ කොහෙන්ද?
මාව තල්ලූ කරන්න එපා ! - ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක
ප්‍රශ්නය - මේ රටේ පැවැතුණු දේශපාලන ක්‍රමයට විරෝධය පළ කරමින් ඔබ විසින් 1976 දී කරලියට රැගෙන ආ "ඒකා අධිපති" නමැති වේදිකා නාට්‍ය දේශපාලන ප්‍රහසනයක්‌. 1971 කැරැල්ල පැවැති යුගයේදී මේ රටේ බිහිවෙමින් තිබුණු ෆැසිස්ට්වාදී පාලන තන්ත්‍රයට මුහුණදෙන ජනයාගේ ඉරණම මේ නාට්‍ය කෙරෙන් විද්‍යමාන වෙනවා. එහෙත් ආද්‍යතන සමාජයේ විවිධ දේශපාලන විපරීතයන් සිදුවුවත් එදා ඔබ සංවාදයට බඳුන් කළ ආකාරයේ බිහිසුණු දේශපාලන වටපිටාවක්‌ අද දක්‌නට නැහැ. මේ නිසා "ඒකා අධිපති" වසර තිස්‌තුනකට පසු හදිසියේම ප්‍රතිනිෂ්පාදනය වීම පිළිබඳ සැක සංඛා මතුවෙනවා. ඔබ මේ ඉටු කරමින් ඉන්නේ රාජ්‍ය නොවන සංවිධානයක කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුවක්‌ ද?
පිළිතුර- "ඒකා අධිපති" 76 නාට්යයක්. 1976 මේ නාට්‍යය ලාංකේය සමාජයේ ප්‍රදර්ශනය වන මොහොත අද හා සමානයි. නමුත් වකවානු දෙකක්‌. අද වෙන කොට මේ නාට්‍යයට අවුරුදු තිස්‌තුනක්‌ ගතවෙලා තිබෙනවා. නමුත් ඇතැම් දීන දේශපාලනඥයන් සහ අන්තවාදී මාධ්‍ය කණ්‌ඩායම් මේ නාට්‍යයට විරුද්ධව විවිධ මත පළ කරනවා. මේ ඊනියා අඳෝනාව නැඟෙන්නේ කොහෙන්ද?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Eka Adhipathi again on stage
http://www.siyatha.lk/thisara/?date=20091129EKA ADHIPATHI next shows at Lionel Wendt Theatre on 20th December, 3.00 p.m./7.00 p.m. Tickets now available at Lionel Wendt Theatre.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
My Thoughts on Eka Adhipathi- by Subha Wijesiriwardena
December 8, 2009
We grew up hearing about this play. The legend of Dharmasiri’s work as an actor and playwright have been the stories we were weaned on as children. Eka Adhipathi emerged as a milestone in the history of political theatre in Sri Lanka – all of us who have studied theatre at any level will inevitably come across some mention of this play and the stir it created when it was first produced in 1976, with a then young Dharmasiri himself playing the title role of the military dictator. He too emerged as an exceptionally talented actor and playwright to be contended with, and with Eka Adhipathi, he made his mark. He had come to stay.
EKA ADHIPATHI re-stage on 20th December
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Eka Adhipathi Opens Tonight
Dharmasiri Bandaranayake's critically acclaimed drama 'Eka Adhipathi' opens tonight at the Lionel Wendt Theatre.
Tickets are priced at Rs. 750/-, Rs. 500/-, Rs. 250/- downstairs (reserved) and Rs. 100/- balcony (open seating) and are available at the gate. Please be in your seat by 7.30 pm.
Hope you all enjoy the show!
Tickets are priced at Rs. 750/-, Rs. 500/-, Rs. 250/- downstairs (reserved) and Rs. 100/- balcony (open seating) and are available at the gate. Please be in your seat by 7.30 pm.
Hope you all enjoy the show!
"අපරාධ කරුවකු නොවී කලාකරුවකු වීමට මට ලැබුණු මහා සම්පත නාට්‍ය කලාවයි"
"ඊයේ පෙරේදා ඉඳලා හැම තැනම ප්‍රචාරය කරලා තියෙනවා මේ නාට්‍යය රඟදැක්වෙන්නේ නෑ කියලා. කලා කෘතියකට විරුද්ධව එවැනි බලවේගයක් එන සමාජය මොන තරම් සාහසික ද? සමස්ත සමාජයම ප්‍රචණ්ඩත්වය මුල් කරගෙන මර්දනය මුල් කරගෙන මේ විදියට කොයි තරම් කාලයක් ගමන් කරන්නද? ඒකට අවනත වෙලා, ගැති වෙලා, දීන වෙලා නොවේ මේ ප්‍රශ්නයට විසඳුම් සෙවිය යුත්තේ."
- 'ඒකා අධිපති' නාට්‍යය නිර්මාණය කළ ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක දිවයින පුවත්පත සමඟ පැවති සම්මුඛ සාකච්ඡාවකදී පවසයි.
- 'ඒකා අධිපති' නාට්‍යය නිර්මාණය කළ ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක දිවයින පුවත්පත සමඟ පැවති සම්මුඛ සාකච්ඡාවකදී පවසයි.
Monday, November 30, 2009
"යහපත් සමාජ ප්‍රගමනය මගේ දේශපාලනයයි"
"හැම මනුෂ්‍යයෙක් තුළම දේශපාලනයක් තියෙනවා වගේ මටත් දේශපාලනයක් තියෙනවා. යහපත් සමාජ ප්‍රගමනය තමයි මගේ් දේශපාලනය. මගේ කලා භාවිතාවෙන් ප්‍රකාශ වෙන්නේ මගේ ඒ දේශපාලනයයි.
ඒක හරි ද වැරදි ද කියන එක ඊයේ හෝ අද නෙවෙයි තීරණය වෙන්නේ. අනාගතය විසින් තමයි ඒක තීරණය කරන්නේ. අනික ආර්ථික හා සමාජ අපහසුතා මඟ හරවා ගන්න කලාව හෝ ඉන් ලබා ගත් බලය යොදා ගන්න පුරුද්දක් මට නෑ."
- ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක සරසවිය පුවත්පතට පවසයි.
පූර්ණ සම්මුඛ සාකච්ඡාව මෙතැනින්.
ඒක හරි ද වැරදි ද කියන එක ඊයේ හෝ අද නෙවෙයි තීරණය වෙන්නේ. අනාගතය විසින් තමයි ඒක තීරණය කරන්නේ. අනික ආර්ථික හා සමාජ අපහසුතා මඟ හරවා ගන්න කලාව හෝ ඉන් ලබා ගත් බලය යොදා ගන්න පුරුද්දක් මට නෑ."
- ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක සරසවිය පුවත්පතට පවසයි.
පූර්ණ සම්මුඛ සාකච්ඡාව මෙතැනින්.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Nation interviews Dharmasiri Bandaranayake
“Eka Adhipathi succeeded in bidding the audience for a strong dialogue and I long to see a similar social dialogue in contemporary times through it” - Dharmasiri Bandaranayake speaking to The Nation.
Click here for the full article.
Click here for the full article.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tickets Are Now Available!
Tickets for Eka Adhipathi are available at the Lionel Wendt and are priced at Rs. 750/-, Rs. 500/-, Rs. 250/- downstairs (reserved) and at Rs. 100/- balcony (open seating). Please get your tickets early to avoid disappointment.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Reviews and Comments of Yesteryear
"ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායක මහතා විසින් රචනා කොට අධ්යක්ෂණය කරන ලද 'ඒකා අධිපති' නාටකය මේ වර්ෂයේ කරළියට ආ ඉතා අපූරු සහ විශිෂ්ඨ නිෂ්පාදනයක් ලෙස පළමුවෙන් හැඳින්විය යුතුය.
එක්තරා ප්රමාණයක කාව්යමය රංගෝචිත බසක්ද ධර්මසිරි උපයෝගි කරගෙන තිබිණ. බර්ටෝල්ට් බ්රෙෂ්ට් විසින් හදුන්වන ලද ඒලියනේෂන් සිද්ධාන්තය හෙවත් පරතන්ත්රකරණය වැන්නක් ධර්මසිරි අත්හදා බැලුවේදැයි මම සිතමි. ප්රේක්ෂකයාට එක්තරා විදියක මානසික ව්යායාමයක්ද මේ නිසා ලැබෙයි.
ස්වතන්ත්ර රචනාවන් හිඟ මෙවැනි කලක මෙය අප්රමාණ ලෙස ප්රශංසාවට ලක්කල යුතු කෘතියක් බව නොකියා බැරිය. ධර්මසිරි හා ඹහුගේ නළු නිළි පිරිස මෙය ඉතා ඉහළ මට්ටමේ නිර්මාණයක් බවට පත් කරන්නට එකතු වී හිටියහ. ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායකගේ රඟපෑම මෑත කාලයෙහි සිංහල කරළියෙහි කරන ලද වැදගත් රඟපෑමකි. මුලු නාටකයම ඹහුගේ රංග කුසලතා මැද දිව ගියා සේ විය."
මහාචාර්ය තිස්ස කාරියවසම්
'අද' - 1976 දෙසැම්බර් 19
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"The only play worthy of note this year has been Eka Adhipathi which also attempts to blend humour and politics. Like Navagaththegama and Hemasiri Liyanage, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake the producer of Eka-Adhipathi, has sought inspiration from both Karl and Groucho Marx. Special intention must be made of his own chaplinesque portrayal of the great dictator. As an actor he is certainly the find of the year."
Dr. Sarath Amunugama
‘The Arts in 1976’ – The Sunday Times – 2nd January 1977
***
"The best attended of the plays was Bandaranayake’s Eka-Adhipathi written, directed and acted by him. It was a dialog-chocked script which swept its paces like grease-lightning. As a production it stood with perfect facility with the players pouncing on their cues with unerring rapidity. Bandaranayake’s portrayal of the dictator was a ‘tour de force’ of timing, delineation and tonal vivacity."
Nalin Wijesekera
Drama Festival 1976 – The Sunday Observer – 5th June 1977
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"The play ‘Eka-Adhipathi’ is certain to be a refreshingly novel experience for the Sinhala theatregoer harried by the oppressive monotony of a string of ideological melodramas. It had a lively pace which gathered momentum with each successive scene and a soul stirring authenticity that exerted an almost hypnotic influence on the spectator. As the play progressed one could sense an exhilarating tension welling up within the walls of the often outraged Lumbini Theatre.
With a series of cleverly arranged vignettes Dharmasiri Bandaranayake who scripted and directed Eka-Adhipathi depicted the physical and emotional confrontation between the desperate masses and the degenerate but cockily confident administrative establishment in a hypothetical land governed by a Machiavellian military despot.
This play should provide inspiration and even education to the aspiring young dramatists. Acting was a very high standard all round with the playwright himself in the role of the President and Sunethra Sarachchandra as Olga outshining the rest of the cast.
Eka-Adhipathi though not a masterpiece came tantalizingly close to being one."
Dayasena Gunasinghe
The Daily News – 4th December 1976
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එක්තරා ප්රමාණයක කාව්යමය රංගෝචිත බසක්ද ධර්මසිරි උපයෝගි කරගෙන තිබිණ. බර්ටෝල්ට් බ්රෙෂ්ට් විසින් හදුන්වන ලද ඒලියනේෂන් සිද්ධාන්තය හෙවත් පරතන්ත්රකරණය වැන්නක් ධර්මසිරි අත්හදා බැලුවේදැයි මම සිතමි. ප්රේක්ෂකයාට එක්තරා විදියක මානසික ව්යායාමයක්ද මේ නිසා ලැබෙයි.
ස්වතන්ත්ර රචනාවන් හිඟ මෙවැනි කලක මෙය අප්රමාණ ලෙස ප්රශංසාවට ලක්කල යුතු කෘතියක් බව නොකියා බැරිය. ධර්මසිරි හා ඹහුගේ නළු නිළි පිරිස මෙය ඉතා ඉහළ මට්ටමේ නිර්මාණයක් බවට පත් කරන්නට එකතු වී හිටියහ. ධර්මසිරි බණ්ඩාරනායකගේ රඟපෑම මෑත කාලයෙහි සිංහල කරළියෙහි කරන ලද වැදගත් රඟපෑමකි. මුලු නාටකයම ඹහුගේ රංග කුසලතා මැද දිව ගියා සේ විය."
මහාචාර්ය තිස්ස කාරියවසම්
'අද' - 1976 දෙසැම්බර් 19
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"The only play worthy of note this year has been Eka Adhipathi which also attempts to blend humour and politics. Like Navagaththegama and Hemasiri Liyanage, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake the producer of Eka-Adhipathi, has sought inspiration from both Karl and Groucho Marx. Special intention must be made of his own chaplinesque portrayal of the great dictator. As an actor he is certainly the find of the year."
Dr. Sarath Amunugama
‘The Arts in 1976’ – The Sunday Times – 2nd January 1977
***
"The best attended of the plays was Bandaranayake’s Eka-Adhipathi written, directed and acted by him. It was a dialog-chocked script which swept its paces like grease-lightning. As a production it stood with perfect facility with the players pouncing on their cues with unerring rapidity. Bandaranayake’s portrayal of the dictator was a ‘tour de force’ of timing, delineation and tonal vivacity."
Nalin Wijesekera
Drama Festival 1976 – The Sunday Observer – 5th June 1977
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"The play ‘Eka-Adhipathi’ is certain to be a refreshingly novel experience for the Sinhala theatregoer harried by the oppressive monotony of a string of ideological melodramas. It had a lively pace which gathered momentum with each successive scene and a soul stirring authenticity that exerted an almost hypnotic influence on the spectator. As the play progressed one could sense an exhilarating tension welling up within the walls of the often outraged Lumbini Theatre.
With a series of cleverly arranged vignettes Dharmasiri Bandaranayake who scripted and directed Eka-Adhipathi depicted the physical and emotional confrontation between the desperate masses and the degenerate but cockily confident administrative establishment in a hypothetical land governed by a Machiavellian military despot.
This play should provide inspiration and even education to the aspiring young dramatists. Acting was a very high standard all round with the playwright himself in the role of the President and Sunethra Sarachchandra as Olga outshining the rest of the cast.
Eka-Adhipathi though not a masterpiece came tantalizingly close to being one."
Dayasena Gunasinghe
The Daily News – 4th December 1976
***
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
An Indelible Trail of 33 Years
An indelible trail of 33 years
Winner of 8 awards at the 1976 State Drama Festival including Best Original Play of the Year and Best Actor awards, ‘Eka Adhipathi’, written and directed by Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, celebrates 33 years of fame and acclamation on the 3rd and 4th of December at the Lionel Wendt Theatre.
Having amassed a mammoth 1400+ performances from 1976 to 1993, ‘Eka Adhipathi’ is a well received and critically acclaimed production which oozes with political satire. The drama is based on the people’s rebellion against discrimination and dereliction by a corrupt fascist regime.
The original music score for the drama was designed by Premasiri Khemadasa and at present is directed by Deshaka Sampath.
The stellar cast which features prominent thespians includes Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Rajiv Ponweera, Swethekei Munasinghe, Dayadeva Edirisinghe, Lal Peiris, Leonard Cooray, Upul Nishantha, Sampath Tennakoon, Chamila Peiris, Gamini Wijesinghe, Chulla Jayawardhana, Lalith Rajapakse, Wathsala Ranasinghe, Jagath Muthukumarana, Saman Pushpa Liyanage, Himasal Liyanage, Sudesh Wickramarathne, Sarath P. Alawwa, Thushari Chamila Gunarathne, Oshadhi Gunasekera, Rohan De Silva, Asiri Priyanga, Arunodh Wijesinghe, Niluka Dilrukshi Rajamanthri, Manoj Peiris, Tennis Miller and Amil Deepal Galanga.
Having amassed a mammoth 1400+ performances from 1976 to 1993, ‘Eka Adhipathi’ is a well received and critically acclaimed production which oozes with political satire. The drama is based on the people’s rebellion against discrimination and dereliction by a corrupt fascist regime.
The original music score for the drama was designed by Premasiri Khemadasa and at present is directed by Deshaka Sampath.
The stellar cast which features prominent thespians includes Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Rajiv Ponweera, Swethekei Munasinghe, Dayadeva Edirisinghe, Lal Peiris, Leonard Cooray, Upul Nishantha, Sampath Tennakoon, Chamila Peiris, Gamini Wijesinghe, Chulla Jayawardhana, Lalith Rajapakse, Wathsala Ranasinghe, Jagath Muthukumarana, Saman Pushpa Liyanage, Himasal Liyanage, Sudesh Wickramarathne, Sarath P. Alawwa, Thushari Chamila Gunarathne, Oshadhi Gunasekera, Rohan De Silva, Asiri Priyanga, Arunodh Wijesinghe, Niluka Dilrukshi Rajamanthri, Manoj Peiris, Tennis Miller and Amil Deepal Galanga.
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