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My
way to life and love
By Marisa de Silva Directed by the young and talented Lasantha Rodrigo, My Way (originally to be held at the Barefoot Gallery) will be staged at the Frangipani Restaurant, on January 3, 4 and 5, at 7.30 p.m. The play is produced by another well-known name in theatre; Michael Holsinger. My Way centres around a Sri Lankan migrant family in America and how they deal or ‘refuse’ to deal with the reality of their only son, Lal (Geoffrey Evarts) being gay. Their reaction to the issue is initially shock and denial. Then they decide to hush it up as much as possible and try to ‘reform’ their son. In a desperate attempt to do this, they return to Sri Lanka, where all their relations can join forces to find an appropriate girl for Lal. He, having accepted his fate, allows his family to make decisions in his ‘best’ interests. Other issues on racism, nationalism and acceptance too are highlighted both subtly and not so subtly, depending on the situation. “I was told that I’d be perfect for the role,” claims Priyanka (Natasha Gooneratne). Her role was that of the nosy, inquisitive, 14-year-old cousin, who is for the most part immature and lost in her own world. “The fact that I was in fact much older than 14 and working didn’t seem to have much of a bearing on the whole issue,” she added laughing. Having always been kidded about being small, Natasha feels quite at home in her role. Although Priyanka appears immature, she’s very much aware of the happenings within her household. It is only that she opts to tune off and live in her own world (who can blame her!). Alice (Michelle Alles) is the indispensable domestic who’s worked at the ‘maha gedera’ for donkey’s years and proved herself to be indispensable. The entire family depends on her for she practically runs the house. Alice has partaken in many bodhi poojas and visits to the temple. Apart from her usual rituals, her habits of eavesdropping on family affairs and trying to manipulate her mistress into heeding her advice are all part and parcel of her character. Charmaine Tillekeratne who plays Lal’s paternal grandmother has been acting since she was in school and thereafter in many of Indu’s productions. It had been interesting taking on a role of a grandmother says Charmaine. Her character is not a racist per-se as she has many friends from different communities. It’s when it involves her family that she has a problem. However, with age catching up and her mind tending to wander, hardly anyone takes any notice of her, she says with a sigh. The philandering, lazy husband/Lal’s uncle, is played by Arun Perera. He claims he’s a ‘typical’ Sri Lankan husband who has his wife at his beck and call and at most times is insensitive to her needs. He also doesn’t care much for social issues, or his wife it seems, as he’d chase anything in a skirt! “It’s fun and more interesting to play the bad guy,” he says. Unlike her husband, Shiranie (Yasisuri Kiribandara) is very politically correct and self-righteous. She promotes a mixed marriage for Lal, as she strongly endorses inter-racial and inter-religious harmony. She also claims that if our society had been more far-sighted many of the existing problems wouldn’t have occurred. However she too succumbs and becomes the traditional wife in the end. Lal’s intended grand-mother-in-law, Mabel (Lakshani Perera) is very proud of her granddaughter (Lal’s wife to be) and is constantly talking about her. However, she’s not as conservative as Lal’s grandmother, as the play reveals. The Tid-Bit Theatre Company was formed to promote the concept of Dinner Theatre in our country, where a perfect evening of entertainment is coupled with sumptuous cuisine at a relatively economical rate. A special ‘Fork Buffet’ will be provided courtesy of Koluus, whilst the wine will be supplied by Labels. Citi Bank is the main sponsor for this production. Tickets are available at Koluu’s and Frangipani. ‘My Way’
is a play meant for the control freak in all of us, to make us see
that we don’t have to make everyone else conform to society’s
expectations but instead learn to ‘live and let live’.
Exposing the follies of both parents and children, it will trigger
your conscience and make you take a long hard look at your outlook
on life. Good luck and happy soul searching! |
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