Earthy colours

Country colours like brown and beige had a field day (what else?)in the seventies. Then came the grey revival which dislodged beige from its place as the most popular neutral. Autumn shades went into abeyance as fashion emphasized Memphis colours like citrus yellow, turquoise and coral, and turned to black in place of brown. Currently we're seeing new ways of using old favourites because beige and brown are too useful to neglect - they are now used not just for a rural feel, but also to produce city-smart schemes designed to show that grey and black are not essential to achieve style.

Brown has no 'official' place in the colour spectrum, which is why it is often thought to be neutral. In fact, it's a derivative of orange, as the brighter tans and russets clearly show. Dark browns range from virtually black to those which place the emphasis on grey. Beige is pale brown, sometimes with a hint of pink, green or yellow, and should be blended with care, taking into account the different hues on which the tones are based. For contrast, add accents of brown's opposite, which is blue. Consider putting navy blue with russet, or sky blue with chocolate, for example, or mix French navy with beige.

Black also works well with brown and white in a liquorice all sorts combination of colours - and there's no rule which says that beige can't be used with grey. These schemes not only help to co-ordinate new with existing furnishings but challenge traditional ideas of decoration. Because brown is the colour of natural wood it will always have a place in our homes; we need to be equally flexible in the ways we used it.

Full of natural goodness, the earth colours range from dark chocolate to cream. Honey-beige and tan come in between. Look at the wide scope of timber colours: red browns include mahogany and rosewood, yellow browns echo pine and maple; green browns resemble walnut. Made paler, brown becomes a neutral beige, while russet and tan remind us of brown's proxinity to orange.

Caution: Cast at play

Delon Weerasinghe meets the talented young players of 'Widows'

If you happen to drop in on the cast of Widows unexpectedly one day, do not be surprised if you find them at play. Not acting out a play, but actually playing games. They tell me that the concept behind it is quite simple really — games help the actors to relax and build good working relationships and friendships among the cast.

The importance of building these relationships was recognized very early. The directors Feroze Kamardeen and Tracy Holsinger believe, having these strong relationships and conveying them to the audience is essential to make an intense play like Widows work. Since both directors also act in the play, they felt that the need for it was even greater. Therefore the first rehearsals functioned more as 'getting to know you' sessions.

Neluka Silva, who plays the role of Alexandra Fuentes in the play, says that the relaxed atmosphere at rehearsals is deceptive as it masks the cast's deep sense of commitment. "Not to sound trite," she says talking about the familiarity that's developed among the actors, "but I think the cast has really bonded." And these relationships have helped the actors build a rapport that they hope they can convey on stage.

The play is set in a small village. It revolves around the lives of the village women whose husbands have been abducted. They have known each other all their lives and despite their occasional quarrels have turned to each other for strength in their time of need. Their solidarity even at the price of reprisals and death is one of the most telling aspects of the play. The scenes between the women are casual and at the same time, intense. This can only work if the actors are very familiar with each other.

"Widows" is a serious play, a genre that is not too often explored in local English theatre. Mohammed Adamally a producer in his own right, who plays the role of the narrator, says that of late, audiences have grown to such an extent that they can now sustain serious theatre. He also thinks this increasing diversity is good for the local stage.

Some people don't believe that serious theatre can be entertaining. "Widows" he hopes will change their minds. "I think this play can hold an audience purely for its entertainment value. Even if they might not get the issues, this is a play that makes it impossible for anyone to watch it and remain apathetic."

Neluka Silva agrees with him. She hopes that audiences would come even out of curiosity, so they can see for themselves that "Entertainment is not always comedy. This play too has its funny moments. You can make theatre entertaining as well as thought provoking. I think it's a pity to miss this play and the way it portrays issues."

Many of the actors freely admit that they initially found it difficult to understand the play and their characters. This was made even more difficult by the complexity of the characters and the subtlety of Dorfman's script. Ranoj Kurukulasuriya who plays the role of Emmanuel says, "When we first started I didn't really get it, but once everyone got into it everything fitted into place." Deanne Uyangoda who plays "about five roles", says that one of the exercises in particular where they would "sit around and talk about the play in character" helped her to understand the play and her roles better.

Eleven year old Rehan Dias who plays Alexis Fuentes is the youngest member of the cast. "It is a very sad story," he says explaining the plot to me. He tells me that he practises his lines at home with his dog, who listens faithfully. "I like everyone here," he says, adding that he enjoys working with these "Aunties" very much.

John Benedict plays the role of a villainous young lieutenant. But he insists that his character is not completely a villain. The character he claims is not so one sided. "He does what is right for him. To him everything is cut and dry. He was brought up to believe that a certain social structure was right, and he fights to defend that 'holy structure'. John claims that he found his role very hard. He says that one scene in particular, where he has to manhandle Fidelia is very difficult, because it meant going against all his instincts and his innate respect for women.

Karen Balthazaar who plays the role of Fidelia, says she found it a challenging role because the role is that of a much younger girl. Especially as Fidelia is what you would call a "weird" girl. She says that her initial confusion with her character actually helped her to bring personality to her role, "I interpreted her as being a confused girl, as girls that age usually are." Karen likes the fact that her character grows in the play. "She (Fidelia) grows up from being a child into a woman by the end."

Michelle Perera, whose most recent appearances on stage have been in comedy productions, says that she decided to do Widows because she needed a break from the monotony she felt she was getting into. Although she admits that comedy is more immediately gratifying, she says what she likes about this type of play is that "It creates. The message is conveyed through the words. And I think it's better that way — let the people imagine it. You can create much more in people's minds than you can ever hope to act out on a stage"

Michelle feels that Feroze chose this play because he too wanted to break a pattern he was getting into. "People expected a certain type of theater from him and I think that he too wanted to do something different." Feroze's past productions, "The legend of Macbeth" (1996) and "Julius Caesar— the anatomy of an assassination" (1997) both contained special effects. But this play relies heavily on characterisation. Strong characters and dialogues are what make this powerful play work.

Ruwanthie De Chickera who plays Yanina Fuentes says that the hardest part of her role is relating to the plastic doll she uses as her baby. She says that the total lack of response from the doll makes it "very difficult to cultivate any sort of feeling towards it." But on a more serious note she tells me that she really relishes the intensity of the rehearsals. "They are so intense and emotional, that I sometimes find myself on the verge of tears by the time we're done."

Emotion is the secret ingredient in this play. A brilliant script twists and manipulates the emotions of the audience throughout. It explores the issues we hear about on Television, and those which haunt our own past. Many plays, even Shakespeare, can be adapted to suit the times, but rarely does it manage to so prudently explore the critical issues of today as much as this play does.

The directors say that they wanted to offer audiences something think about. The verdict on what exactly the audience thinks about "Widows" will be in sometime next week.

"Widows" a production of Stage Light and Magic Inc. in association with the Workshop Players goes on the boards of the Lionel Wendt theatre from May 14 to 17.

More Mirror Magazine * Junior Times

Return to Mirror Magazine Contents