TV Times

TV Times

Jana Karaliya comes to Nomads
A festival of drama created by “Jana Karaliya”, mobile theatre group, is now being staged at the Nomads ground Colombo adjoining John De Silva Memorial Theatre.

The first ever Mobile Theatre in Sri Lanka staged a number of plays both Tamil and Sinhala daily from March 10 to 15 2005 at 6.30 pm. The Tamil productions of the play “Andara Mal” created by mobile theatre group through improvisation and the play “Seetambara Pata” written by Mangala Senanayake will be performed on March13. The Tamil productions are titled as ‘Erukkalam roo’ and “Mayappattalei” respectively.

The Jana Karaliya production ‘Makaraksha’, translated version of the Russian play “The Dragon” by Yevgini Shwarts will be performed on 14th and 15th March. The Sinhala translation is by Cyril C. Perera

This drama festival will be held with the assistance of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs & National Heritage. After the Jana Karaliya drama festival a drama workshop will be held in the Mobile Theatre in order to create a new original play.

The Mobile Theatre Group Members Palitha Abeylal, Jayantha Kumara Muthuthanthri, Suneth Shanthapriya, Sokkalingam Krishanthan, Dulip Ratnayaka, Chaminda Prasad, Manjula Ranasingha, Nishantha Kularatna, Sumudu Mallawarachchi, Ronika Chamalee, Uthpalee Karunaratna, T. Sivanesan, M.Kalidas, Vemi Theresa, R. Kopika, Chamara Anuradha, Ajanthan Shanthakumar, Janakee Ratnayaka, Arosha Tharanganee, Sineth Devinda, S. Sangeetha, Swama Sri Livera, Sujeewa Damayanthi, H.A.G.G. Malkanthi will contribute by acting in all the plays of Jana Karaliya.

The creative work is led by Parakrama Niriella and H.A.Perera and supported by Ravindra Mapitigama in choreographing and assisting them. Dilip Rohana the coordinator, Hemasiri Abeywardana the manager of the mobile theatre and Amitta Weerasinghe the publicity manager also works together. Rohan Samaradivakara, Chandana Pradeep Kumara, Neranjan Chandraditya, Dilini Wijeratne, Sanjeevanee Vithanage and Chamila Nilmini Kumari contribute in creating theatre properties and costumes. Lyrics are by Mahinda Dissanayaka and Bandula Nanayakkarawasam and H.A.Perera creates music with the assistance of Tharindu Gamage and Sumudu Mallawarachchi. As the first ever Mobile Theatre in Sri Lanka and as a local initiative “Jana Karaliya” gets joint support from HIVOS, FLICT and USAID.

Starting its journey after the “Jana Karaliya” festival in Colombo the Mobile Theatre will go to Anuradhapura. The Jana Karaliya in collaboration with “Vanniye Wedikawa Cultural Movement” will cover the entire Anuradhapura district conducting its drama and theatre programme. It will be installed in front of Anuradhapura central college.

“Accomplishing a cultural mission by the use of ‘drama and theatre’ in an unprecedented way, through the first ever ‘Mobile Theatre’ in our country, that will enlighten and build more human intimate relationships among the Sri Lankan people from the top strata to the bottom and from north to south, the Mobile Theatre will enable them to understand themselves and others better to have peace inside within and without” said the two pioneers Parakrama Niriella and H. A. Perera, well known for their contribution to the drama field.

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