Safeer brings Anne Frank’s diary to stage
Veteran dramatist M. Safeer brings the world famous Anne Frank Diary to the stage in both English and Sinhala languages. The second best read book in the world “The Diary of Anne Frank” is brought to Sri Lankan stage for the first time and it goes on boards on March 5 in Sinhala and on March 6 in English at at 4.00 and 6.00 pm at the Goethe Institut in Colombo 07.
The cast of the play includes Amaya Bogoda, Jayanath Bandara, Vishaka Jayaweera, Pimal K.Perera and Cithrarina Mendis. Art, videography and designing is by Saliya Liyanarachchi, music is by M. Sharaf, stage management is by Asiri Dulanjana. M.Safeer and Wasantha Kumara Manage handles lighting while makeup of the play is by Thelma Deepika. Jayalath S. Gomes and M.Safeer scripted the play jointly produced by the German Cultural Institut and Inter Act Art theatre group.
The short life of an ordinary school girl may seem to be an unlikely subject for a biography. Anne’s life began just as the Nazis rose to power and ended as the Nazis were defeated. She knew almost every part of the experience; what it felt like to have Nazi soldiers invade her neighborhood, to be branded as less than human, to live in hiding, to have a family separated into different death camps, and to be a prisoner of people who took a bizarre pleasure in cruelty. For playwright M. Safeer, making a play based on the world famous book “Diary of a young girl “ by Anne Frank was not only recreating what happened 70 years ago in Europe but what people go through in the present context in Sri Lankan society specially after the Easter Sunday attack.
“As a Muslim, I saw through Anne Frank’s Diary the agony, the mental pressure and the unease the entire society underwent after the recent Easter Sunday attack. Anne and the family went into hiding knowing of Hitler’s Anti-Jewish arrogance. In the same way parents of this country did not send their children to schools, withdrew from public places, went straight home after work and got caged in it. This is another kind of imprisonment,” says Safeer.
“What happened 70 years ago is repeating even today. Many inhuman acts are taking place based on ethnic, religious, cast, creed, power and the class. There seems to be no end to these acts. All of us are engaged in an unending war. We too felt just as Anne felt long time ago. Aren’t we? History repeats,” the director questions.
Seating capacity per show will be 75 and invitations could be obtained from the German Cultural Institut.