Roars of Sinhabahu reach English theatre

Author: Susitha R. Fernando

Source: Sunday Times

Date:09/03/2008

Celebrating the golden jubilee of production, the groundbreaking Sinhala stage play, Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra's 'Sinhabahu' will go international with its English version on March 15 and 16 at 7 pm at Lionel Wendt theatre, Colombo. Mayashakthi Theatre Foundation with the aim of taking the message of Prof. Sarachchandra to the international audience has taken up this painstaking challenge of presenting the renowned stylized play to the English theatre.

Anoma Jinadari as Suppadevi

"Prof. Sarachchandra invented stylized theatre for the modern stage by using as its roots the fundamentals of bygone theatre forms such as Sokari, Kolam Nadagam and Kuththu," says experienced dramatist Dharmajith Punarjeeva, the director of Sinhabahu poetic opera.

Explaining other reason to do the English version, he said, "Sinhabahu is the mythical story of how the Sinhalese came into being. But this mythical story is distorted and given a negative interpretation in order to demean the country and its people by groups with vested interests internationally. It was in this backdrop we want to take this great play to the international audience,".

When we explained this to Mrs. Lalith Sarachchandra who has the rights over Prof. Sarachchandra's works, she gave her approval and even took us to Dr. Lakshmi de Silva, a colleague and great fan of Prof. Sarachchandra's drama and had translated both' Sinhabahu' and 'Maname' as far back as 1970s.

The task of creating melodies of this highly acclaimed drama was undertaken by veterans in the Western music circle including Mary Ann David. Others who joined her are Jerom de Silva, Noeline Honter and Nawaratna Gamage."While celebrating 50 years, the other main reason for the English version was to educate the international audience on the Sri Lankan theatre and also the mythical tale of how the Sinhala race began," says dramatist Punarjeewa.

Dharmajith Punarjeeva

"In making the English version the challenges we had to face was to preserve the poetic and music style of the original and also to preserve the 'Asianness' as we were going to campaign internationally," explained Mr. Punarjeewa. "With regard to the music and poetic styles of the English play, the ultimate we could think was 'opera' and the experienced musician Mary Ann David did an excellent piece of work with her creative melodies and also Noeline Honter who showed exceptional talent by going beyond her usual singing style of pop music," he added.

"They knew about 'Sinhabahu' and they had great respect for the original" the director said. In order to bring the qualities of the lion through choreography, the Mayashakthi theatre group got the support of Kanchana Wijesuriya of Bandu Wijesooriya Dance Academy.

"We had to use Low Country dancing styles in Sri Lanka to show the enormous power and valour of Sinhabahu, the Lion king. The other most important area of the drama costumes was created by Vajira Piries from University of Moratuwa and props were created by Lional Bentarage from University of fine arts.

‘Musical Theatre for Children’

Source: The Nation

Date:23/11/2008

Play House - Kotte, the leading Children’s theatre, presents a two day Theatre Festival for the young Audiences on December 5 and 6, 2008, at the Lionel Wendt at 3.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m respectively. The theatre’s latest creation ‘Walas Pawula’ (The Bears and Goldilocks) as well as the well received Punchi Apata Den Therei (We Know It Now) and “Toppi Welenda” (The Hat Seller) will be showcased on these days.. The festival is sponsored by the HNB Assurance PLC (for the third consecutive year) to promote Children’s Theatre in Sri Lanka and thereby contribute to the well being of the country’s future generation.

In a socio-cultural situation where there is little patronage for good theatre for children and youth, the support extended by HNB Assurance PLC to hold a two-day theatre festival for children is commendable. Tickets for the festival have been priced at affordable rates with a view to reaching a wider audience.

The Play House - Kotte has been organising festivals of theatre for children and youth annually for the last twenty-five years. The institution was established in 1981 by Somalatha Subasinghe to further the cause of Children’s and Youth Theatre in Sri Lanka. The institution was incorporated (as Lanka Children’s and Youth Theatre Foundation-LCYTF) in January 2007 under the Act no. 3 of 2007 enabling it to expand its mandate. In its journey over the past 27 years the Play House Kotte has been able to produce a repertoire of plays for children and youth of a high artistic quality. Some of these productions have been internationally acclaimed. The festival of theatre in December can considered a joint effort by two acclaimed institutions which are working towards to promote social welfare and reconciliation through their chosen fields of activities.

‘Walas Pawula’ is an adaptation of a popular fairy tale ( Goldilocks and the Three Bears’) while ‘Punchi Apata den Therei’ and ‘Toppi Welenda’ are based on well-known international folk stories. All plays are produced as musicals and in the adaptations, new characters and situations have been incorporated particularly to communicate with the Sri Lankan child. The production style of the plays has been developed so as to give the young audiences as well as the whole family an aesthetic journey of entertainment.

Choreography, lighting, costumes, stage props, and music of the plays have been carefully crafted to convey to the young audience a sense of basic art forms and meaningful entertainment. The music enhances the sense of beauty of the visuals generated on stage by the professional theatre group of the Play House Kotte. The composition of music of these dramas has been based on our traditional melodies which are modified and adapted to the present context. The language of these theatre pieces is both musical and performance based. They have been developed in a manner to inculcate in children a sense of pride in their own culture as well as to promote the importance of the institution of family and its values. The lessons of love, humanity and care for nature refreshingly presented in the plays, are thought provoking, and facilitate an intellectual and entertaining discourse with children.

Both plays are written by Somalatha Subasinghe. ‘Walas Pawula’ is directed and choreographed by Dr. Chandana Aluthge and Punchi Apata Den Therei and Toppi Welenda are directed by Somalatha Subasinghe. Music for Walas Pawula is by Tharupathi Munasinghe and M. R. Chulasinghe has composed music for the other two plays.

The cast of the musicals comprises: Wickrama Seneviratne, Rohitha Karunaratne, Wishvajith Gunasekera, Sanjaya Hettiarachchi, Shamaine Gunarathne, Suresh Fernando, Pujitha de Mel, Dilum Buddhika, Dinuki de Silva, Pramudi Karunarathne, Mayura Kanchana, Namal Jayasinghe, Geetha Alahakoon, Ishara Wickramasene, and a number of new comers trained at Play House-Kotte.

Play House showcases drama with deep insight

Source: Daily News

Date: 08/08/2007

Lanka Children's and Youth Theatre Foundation will present the Colombo Theatre Festival for Young Audiences at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo 7 from August 9-12. The theme of the festival is "Theatre for Education and Reconciliation."

THEATRE: The Lanka Children's and Youth Theatre Organisation (LCYTF) or Play House-Kotte which was established as a voluntary organisation in 1981 by veteran playwright and theatre director Somalatha Subasinghe.

Over the years LCYTF has produced a repertoire of internationally acclaimed mainly musical theatre for children and youth and award winning mainstream theatre productions. Today LCTYF is the leading producer of theatre for children and youth, and one of the major training and skill development centres for actors and other creative professionals in Sri Lanka. With its theatre productions over the years, LCYRF has also been able to set new standards for the Sri Lankan theatre.

The objective of the Colombo Theatre Festival for Young Audiences 2007 is to provide a platform in particular for young theatre directors to showcase their productions to the public. On the other hand it will also be a

DISTORTION:Vikurthi actors in action

valuable opportunity for the public to experience theatre with meaningful entertainment both in the categories of original creations and adaptations from the international theatre.

When selecting the plays for the festival the only prerequisite that was taken into account is the merit of creativity of the production. Therefore, the underlying idea of this selection process is to promote high quality theatre productions by young directors.

Accordingly, four plays have been selected for the festival. They are "Vikurthi" (Distortion) by Somalatha Subasinghe, "Sanda Langa Maranaya" (Blood Wedding) by Kaushalya Fernando, "Asinamali" (Nothing to Lose) by Pujitha de Mel and "Me Heeneta Namak Denna" (Name This Dream) by Priyantha Kaluaarachchi. All these productions are national award winning pieces with deep-insights into the socio-cultural issues.

Somalatha Subasinghe

New categories

Plans are already under way to make this festival the most looked forward to in August in the future by adding a few new categories such as theatre for children, short plays by young directors and plays from the South Asian Region. This in turn will make Colombo a significant location for showcasing high quality theatre productions with meaningful entertainment in the South Asian region.

Schedule of the festival

Vikurthi (Distortion) by Somalatha Subasinghe August 9, 3.30 pm and 7.00 pm. Me Heeneta Namak Denna (Name This Dream) by Priyantha Kaluarachchi. August 10, 3.30 pm and 7.00 pm.

Asinamali (Nothing to Lose) by Pujitha de Mel August 11, 3.30 pm and 7.00 pm. Sanda Langa Maranaya (Blood Wedding) by Kaushalya Fernando August 12, 3.30 pm and 7.00 pm.

Vikurthi

Vikurthi (Distortion) is a play by Somalatha Subasinghe, a satirical exposure of hapless generation of youth whose lives were dominated by incessant struggle between the parents' aspirations and the youth's abilities and preferences.

In the 1980s, at the time the drama was conceived, the widespread social tendency was that the aspiring parents trying to achieve the missed opportunities of their own lives through their children. Consequently, the children were forced to study for competitive government examinations such as GCE (O/L) and GCE (A/L), specifically in the Science Stream disregarding their aptitudes and available resources at respective schools and the universities.

The play discusses in-depth how this anti-social process denied youth of their own life, which in turn deeply affects them in many ways.

Vikurthi cast includes Chamila Peiris, Namal Jayasinghe, Nadee Kammallaweera, Wishvajith Gunesekara, Mayura Kanchana, Suresh Fernando, Nayomi Gunasiri, Sharmaine Gunaratne, Sanjaya Hettiarachchi, Ishara Wickramasinghe, Hiran Abeysekera, Prasannajith Abeysuriya and a number of newcomers to the national theatre groomed at Play House-Kotte.

The play is written and directed by Somalatha Subasinghe, M.R. Chulasinghe composed music for the play. Choreography is by Somalatha Subasinghe and Chandana Aluthge. Stage lighting is by Chandana Aluthge and make-up is by Sumedha Hewawitharana.

Me Heeneta Namak Denna

Priyantha Kaluaarachchi's Me Heeneta Namak Denna (Name This Dream) has the theme of the youth's realization of the reality of modern day life. Dhamma is a young television producer who loves his profession very much.

He perceives his work as his life. This creative youth's sudden and unexpected transfer to a bottle manufacturing plant by the holding company which also owns the Television channel turns his world upside down. Stressed out by this turn of events, Dhamma even attempts to commit suicide. At that moment he encounters all his life's expectations in a dream. The play evolves around the dream and reality of the protagonist.

Me Heeneta Namak Denna cast consists of Namal Jayasinghe, Dayadeva Edirisinghe, Sampath Jayaweera, Athula Pathirana and Samanali Fonseka. Music of the drama is composed by Kapila Poogalaarachchi. Stage decor and costumes are by Pradeep Chandrasiri. Make-up is by Bhanu Prasanna.

Lighting is by Chandana Authge and Stage management by Hewage Bandula and the drama is written and directed by Priyantha Kaluaarchchi.

Asinamali

Pujitha de Mel's "Asinamali" is the Sinhala production of the South African playwright Mbongeni Ngema's Asinamali.

It has a greater relevance to the contemporary post-colonial world. The term 'Asinamali' could be literary translated as a political slogan 'Nothing to Lose' which has a history associated with the South African struggle against Apartheid. A minimum number of actors playing multiple roles in one stage setting, a salient characteristic of Ngema's plays is appropriated by Pujitha in his production.

The story of the play revolves around a union of five prisoners from diverse parts of South Africa in a cell at Leeuwkop Prison zealously guarded by Afrikaana-speaking police. Within the confines of the prison, the audience is taken to far flung hamlets of South Africa when the incarcerated prisoners relate their experiences, their former lives, political ideology, mentors and their crimes.

Asinamali was adjudged the best play of the year at National Drama Festival in 2001. Asinamali cast comprises Wishvajith Gunasekera, Dharmapriya Dias, Sanjaya Hettiarachchi, Namal Jayasinghe and Nissanka Madulaarachchi.

Music for the drama is composed by Theja Buddhika Rodrigo. Stage decor is by Namal Jayasinghe. Make-up is by Sumedha Hewavitharana. Lighting is by Kapila Aluthge and Stage management is by Nissanka Madulaarachchi and the drama is directed by Pujitha de Mel.

Sanda Langa Maranaya

Kaushalya Fernando's "Sanda Langa Maranaya", is the Sinhala version of Blood Wedding. Blood Wedding, one of the famous trilogy based upon Spanish society, written by Federico Garcia Lorca in response to a news paper article concerning a local murder in rural Spain.

The story of the play is a triangle of passionate love among a bridegroom, a married man and a young bride. The play basically is a tragedy of missed love, focusing certain universal themes such as extremism, intolerance, and inflexibility in society which makes it relevant for all times.

The production is a semi-musical-surrealistic-type which is a familiar theatrical experience to the local audiences. The choreographed movements, music and rhythm, and vivid lighting and colours in addition to very intense acting on stage impart an entertaining yet intense theatre encounter. Sanda Langa Maranaya was adjudged the best play of the year at National Drama Festival in 2005.

Sanda Langa Maranaya cast includes Somalatha Subasinghe, Lucian Bulathsinghala, Chamila Peries, Wishvajith Gunasekera, Prasanna Mahagamage, Mayura Kanchana, Nadee Kammallaweera, Suresh Fernando, Nayomi Gunasiri, Lakmini Seneviratne, Sharamaine Gunaratne, Sanjaya Hettiarachchi, Champika Kannangara, Ishara Wickramasinghe, Hiran Abeysekera and a number of newcomers to the national theatre groomed at Play House-Kotte.

Nadeeka Guruge composed music for the play. Choreographed movements and stage lighting are by Chandana Aluthge. Stage sets and properties are by Namal Jayasinghe while make-up is by Sumedha Hewawitharana. Stage management is by Aruna Jayasena and Shameen Athuraliya.

Eka-Adhipathi to enthral audiences soon

Author: Randima Attygalle
Source: The Nation
Date: 22/11/2009

Eka-Adhipathi, the breakthrough of Dharmasiri Bandaranayake as an actor and a playwright came about in 1976, a few years after his lead portrayal in Henry Jayasena’s Makara. “Eka-Adhipathi marked my maturity as an artiste,” words of Bandaranayake justify the seven coveted awards it secured at the State Drama Festival, including Best Actor and Best Original Production. Creating a sensation among theatregoers and breaking away from the ideological melodramas of contemporary times, Eka-Adhipathi was critically acclaimed as one of the best theatrical labours of the times.

The oppressive rule of a political despot, portrayed by Bandaranayake himself, has emerged on the stage till 1993, marking over 1400 shows. “The last production of Eka-Adhipathi was in 1993, and after a long lapse of time, it will see the light on December 3 and 4, with several new faces and a few from the previous productions,” said Bandaranayake, adding that the production aims to inspire many young artistes pursuing drama studies and engaged in individual productions. “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,” added Bandaranayake.

Nourished by historical and political ingredients from many parts of the world, Eka-Adhipathi revolves around a Machiavellian military tyrant in a fictitious land, whose regime brings nothing but chaos, misery and destruction. “The barbaric deeds to which a power-hungry tyrant can resort to, to sustain his power, are narrated, and the essence of the play is to protest against the elimination of human life,” explained Bandaranayake.

A 26-year-old young man portraying a 60-year-old tyrant, with no inkling of the ‘youthful countenance’, is indeed remarkable. Young Bandaranayake enthralled the audience, while ‘oppressing the masses of his doomed land’, his stagecraft surfacing, several decades ago. “Today, I’m of the dictator’s age, and whether it is a young man portraying the dictator or not, let the audience judge,” he chuckles! It was fate that Bandaranayake turned out to be the despot himself. “Not a single artiste was committed to this lead role, so I had no option but to play it myself, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, yet a tedious task at the same time,” added he.
Deviating from the standard theatrical dialogue, Eka-Adhipathi is persuasive and dynamic in its language, complemented by the mastery of music. Touched by the mastery of Master Khemadasa’s music, the play had a strong spell on the audience. The originally composed music of the Master will be directed by one of his golayas, Deshaka Sampath, in the new production.

A production of TrikonE Arts Centre, Eka-Adhipathi will commence the series of re-productions of Bandaranayake with the adaptation of Arthur Miller’s Crucible in April next year, followed by Makarakshaya, Yakshawagamanaya, Dhawala Bheeshana and Trojan Women.
“Eka-Adhipathi has stood the test of time, and I invite all lovers of drama to be part of it,” concluded Bandaranayake. (RA)

ENTICING THE YOUNG AUDIENCE

Author: Randima Attygalle
Source: The Nation
Date: 22/11/2009

Colombo Theatre Festival for Young Audiences, presented by the Lanka Children’s Youth Theatre Foundation (LCYTF) or popularly known as the Play House, Kotte will go on boards on December 5 and 6 at Lionel Wendt- enticing the young audience to witness the theatrical efforts of the contemporary dramatists.

Since its launch in 2005, marking the 25th anniversary of the Play House Kotte Colombo Theatre Festival for Young Audiences had proven to be a fertile platform of experimenting, expressing and enthralling the lovers of drama. This year’s festival will showcase eminent dramatist Somalatha Subasinghe’s much acclaimed production Vikurthi and young playwright Chamika Hathlahawaththa’a Hari Apuru Dawasak.

Since its first production in 1982, Vikurthi had stood the test of time, its theme more timely in contemporary society than it ever was. “Vikurthi was borne out of experimental theatre and took summersaults, making it an eye opener to the young parent whose aspirations for the children are too high, which in turn oppress and penalise the child,” said Somalatha Subasinghe, Founder and Director, Play House, Kotte.

Senior artiste Kaushalya Fernando who played the role of the mother in Vikurthi in over 20 productions of the play, cited, “germinated in the mind of my mother (Somalatha Subasinghe) Colombo Theatre Festival for Young Audiences is a collective effort of the Play House, Kotte today, through which we attempt to showcase the potential of young artistes striving to address youth problems. Each year, we make this festival a platform for such budding artistes to showcase their talents and for the audience to be inspired by contemporary artistes.”

The eye of an artiste sees the injustice of the world as much as he/she sees the beauty around him/her. Art is not just entertainment, it’s dais for creating public opinion, a means of influencing the thinking of people. The beauty of stage is its ability to project injustice, the pathos, trials and tribulations of the world through an artistic eye. This is essentially what the Colombo Theatre Festival for Young Audiences promotes. “We are a nation of passionate and communicative people. There is always an urge among the youth to express themselves aesthetically and stage is one such effective tool of art to exploit in this regard. I have been quite impressed with several recent theatre productions of young artistes. They show tremendous potential and come out through their own perspectives of life. Therefore, they should be provided with every opportunity of enhancing their talent and this is what we attempt to do through the Colombo Theatre Festival for Young Audiences,” elaborated Ms. Subasinghe.

Giving an insight into Hari Apuru Dawasak, which drew its inspiration from A Wonderful Sunday, a film by Akira Kurasawa, the playwright and director Chamika said, “this is a tale of two lovers who attempt to spend a Sunday with just Rs. 171.50. Although the plot appears quite simple, through subtle humour, the socio-economic crisis which oppresses the youth is narrated through the drama.” Recipient of seven awards including the Best Drama award at the National Drama Festival in 2008, Hari Apuru Dawasak represented Sri Lanka at the Cairo International Research Drama Festival this year. Exhibiting the talents of several promising young artistes, the plot of the drama unfolds in several locations within the course of a single day. According to Chamika, an undergraduate of theatre studies at University of Kelaniya, his production is inspired by the classical and contemporary drama modes- rich sources of inspiration for him.

Elaborating on the challenges encountered by an endeavour of this nature, Dr. Chandana Aluthge Co-ordinator of the project said, “this is a forum which promotes promising artistes but unfortunately due to the dearth of sponsors we find it a challenging endeavour. We are grateful to HNB Assurance Ltd to have come forward with their generosity in sponsoring this year’s festival. If there are similar forums willing to assist, we will be on a better footing to accommodate several more dramas in one festival and even to tour around the country with it which at present is confined to Colombo.”

Between Home and the World - Sri Lankan Theatre

Source:Lankanewspapers.com
Date: 21/09/2007

In the decades after Independence, Sinhala drama, which was once relegated to the periphery of cultural life, emerged into the spotlight as a vibrant mode of artistic expression.

SINHALA drama, in common with most other contemporary art forms of Sri Lanka, occupies a bipolar universe characterized by a complex set of tensions and associations occurring between the traditional and the modern, the indigenous and the foreign, or in a Tagorean phrase, between the home and the world. This situation is in large measure the product of certain features that are peculiar to the culture and to the historical circumstances surrounding them. Among these, the most important factor has been the relatively low social status accorded to mimetic and performative arts. Until almost the beginning of this century, the theatrical arts were confined to the folk domain. And since folk theatre was tied to single texts or a cluster of specific texts concerning myth and legend, dramatic writing remained a virtually unknown craft in Sinhala society.
The roots of the Sinhala drama that succeeded the professional stage go back to exercises in translation and adaptation undertaken by the English-educated literati who were inspired by the example of modern Western drama. As in the case of most other Asian countries, there were in Sri Lanka groups of concerned individuals who wished to develop a drama that was both modern and yet accessible to an uninstructed audience. They hoped to achieve this end through the translation and adaptation of suitable Western plays. In Sri Lanka, the choice included Gogol, Chekhov and Moliere.

Ediriweera Sarachchandra
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By the 1950s, this approach appeared to have reached something of a dead end. The modes of realism and naturalism had failed to produce works of substance, and indeed continued to look and sound rather alien to the Sinhala stage. Sinhala drama seemed to have lost all sense of direction and purpose. It was at this point that Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Sri Lanka`s greatest playwright, came into the scene.

Sarachchandra, an academic by occupation, was a modernizer who was essentially Tagorean in spirit. Indeed, he had spent some of his formative years at Santiniketan and subscribed to the intercultural philosophy of Tagore. Sarachchandra, convinced that the direct emulation of Western forms was not the way forward for Sinhala drama, sought to attain a viable fusion of the Western and Asian modes. He further believed that drama was a poetic medium which, most properly, should concern itself with perennial themes, and not with quotidian issues. The use of poetry, music, song, dance and stylized gesture on the modern stage was entirely appropriate, he argued.

Maname
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Sarachchandra`s work for the stage followed these principles. Writing and directing the plays himself, he demonstrated outstanding poetic gifts and a sure grasp of modern stagecraft. Always working with `found material` such as Buddhist Jataka stories and folk tales, he experimented with traditional theatrical forms. For his path-breaking `Maname` (1956), Sarachchandra employed the almost extinct nadagam form. This turned out to be an inspired choice, for the nadagam elegantly accommodated the theatrical vocabulary he favored.

`Maname` accomplished several objectives. While offering an exceptionally satisfying theatrical experience, the play validated the path that Sarachchandra sought to follow. It demonstrated that a productive fusion of the traditional and the modern was not only feasible on stage but also desirable. As a shining example of new possibilities in theatre, `Maname` brought self-esteem and a mood of self-confidence into the sphere of Sinhala theatrical activity.
Over time, however, `Maname` and Sarachchandra`s subsequent dramatic output, along with his general philosophy of theatre, generated an adverse critique. It was argued that Sarachchandra`s kind of drama and the theatrical conventions he followed could neither reflect the actualities of contemporary society nor articulate thematic concerns of a social and political nature. It was also pointed out that Sarachchandra`s preoccupation with so-called `eternal values` deflected attention from the real and pressing issues of the day.

The view was also expressed that the use of song, music and stylized gesture could lead to unwholesome aesthetic indulgence on stage.
The controversy centering on Sarachchandra`s dramaturgy split the Sinhala theatre world into two camps. Although it failed to maintain a high level of understanding or historical knowledge, the debate was a necessary exercise - an evolutionary need, as it were - in a medium that was trying to define itself. However acrimonious at times, the exchanges had a salutary effect in the long run. They led to the realization that drama and theatre do not permit facile categorizations.

Notwithstanding the authoritative role played by Western models in Sinhala drama, the general movement or progression has been towards the consolidation of a presentation or performative mode of theatre as opposed to the representational. Examples of authentic realism are infrequent on the Sinhala stage, and naturalism is practically unknown.

Gunasena Glalppatty
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Gunasena Galappatty, was one of the greatest dramatists of Sri Lanka and his name is a legend among generations of Sinhala theatre goers. The work of a great life time has placed him among the immortals and has created for him a shrine in the world of Sri Lankan theatre. Galappatty was the pioneer of suspense drama in Sri Lanka. After an academic and dramatic stint at University of Yale and Broadway in New York, Galappatty emerged in to the forefront, creating a tremendous impact by his dramatic technique of the harmonization of stylization with naturalism. His legendary production `Muduputtu` was a land mark of Sri Lankan drama and was created such a sensation that it became a controversial issue in the Sri Lankan theatre. Galappatty proved that traditional theatre style could be blended very effectively with western technique. `When he directed a play, he was almost in a trance. The atmosphere was like that within a temple. No one would dare to disturb, while a rehearsal was in progress`, one ardent follower of Galappatty stated.

After his first professional production `Sandakinduru`, Galappatty was awarded a Full-Bright scholarship. Galappatty was the first ever Sri Lankan to study professional theatrical work at Broadway and had the rare opportunity to experiment European stagecraft at the `Method School`, an American offshoot of Stanislavisky acting stylization.

At Broadway, Galappatty started abandoning operatic form of Sri Lankan folk drama and laid foundation on a novel and experimental style blending Western and traditional Sri Lankan theatre.

The profile of Sinhala drama changed radically within a decade of Independence. Over the decades, a medium once relegated to the periphery of cultural life emerged into the spotlight as a sinewy and vibrant mode of artistic expression. The dissonances between tradition and modernity continue to persist on the Sinhala stage despite its eclectic and liberal approach to the craft. Perhaps these can never be fully resolved, given that drama cannot fail to mirror social and cultural conflict.