Janakaraliya Heading North

Author: ww.news.lk
Source: ww.news.lk
Date: 18 May 2010

‘Janakaraliya’ drama troupe will be performing their dramas at 10 schools in the districts of Mannar and Vavuniya in as a part of a 10 day tour in the Northern Province from May 16-26.

They will also conduct Theatre Arts Workshops for the students and the
Teachers of these schools. The Northern Province Governor’s office and
the Ministry of Education, Sports and Cultural Affairs of the Northern
Province will facilitate the tour.

Janakaraliya is a Theatre Arts programme started in the year 2003.
Janakaraliya is a fulltime drama troupe, consisting of Sinhala and
Tamil youth hailing from different parts of the country, has been
performing dramas and conducting theatre arts workshops in many parts
of the country during the past 07 years. Most of these programmes have
been conducted in their mobile theatre with a seating capacity for 800
audiences. The first ever mobile theatre in Sri Lanka, Janakaraliya,
has been constructed according to the ‘New Arena’ methodology. The
Mobile Theatre named as the Theatre Of The People or TOP has been
taken from district to district to hold the Janakaraliya programmes.
They have performed ‘Charandas’, ‘Makaraksha’, ‘Meti Karaththaya’
(Clay Cart), ‘Sekkuwa’ (Oil Press), ‘Seethambara Pata’ (Heavenly
Cloths) by Mangala Senanayake, ‘Andara Mal’ (Flowers of the barren
land) and ‘Soru Evilla’ (Thieves Have Arrived) by Sumith Samarasinghe
dramas and the Children’s Drama ‘Dev Lova Gamana’ (Journey to Heaven)
in both Sinhala and Tamil languages for thousands of drama fans who
could not afford come to the urban drama halls. Out of these dramas
‘Charandas’ has won 09 awards including the ‘best drama’ award at the
State Drama Festival – 2006 and represented at the International Drama
Festival at New Delhi in 2008. ‘Sekkuwa’ has won 07 awards at the
State Drama Festival in the year 1976. The aspiration of the aggregate
Janakaraliya programmes conducted through the application of Theatre
Arts is showcasing the ability and the need for friendly coexistence
of multi ethnic society through cultural activities by being a clear
as crystal example of multi ethnic friendly and peaceful cohabitation
to the Sri Lankan society.

After completing their schedule of drama performances and conducting
theatre arts workshops in Mannar and Vavuniya, Janakaraliya Troupe
will be on their way to Jaffna. They will establish the Mobile Theatre
in the Tamil Mixed School ground in Nallur, Jaffna. Janakaraliya will
have a Drama and Theatre Arts Festival there from the 21st of June to
02nd of July for the people of Jaffna.

Drama performances and workshops will be held in both Sinhala and
Tamil languages. Sinhala and Tamil Medium schools selected for drama
performances are as follows;

St Xavier National School - Mannar, St Fatima Central College –
Pesale, Pier Government Mixed School – Talai Mannar, St Anne’s Central
College – Vankalai, Nanaddan Tamil Maha Vidyalaya and Murunkan Central
College in the Mannar district and Murunkan Central College, Madukanda
National School - Vavuniya, Kalai Mahal Maha Vidyalaya – Nelumkulam,
and Siri Sumana Maha Vidyalaya, Periya Ulukkulam in the Vavuniya
district.

‘Soru Evilla’ (Thieves have arrived) by Sumith Samarasinghe which was
adjudged ‘best children’s drama’ at the Children’s Drama Festival –
2006 winning 06 awards will be performed for primary school children.
‘Seetahmbara Pata’ – (Maya Pattadei) by Mangala Senanayake and ‘Andara
Mal’ (Erikkalam Poo) dramas will be performed for the junior grade
children. These will be day time performances. During the night
‘Charandas’, which was adjudged best drama in the State Drama Festival
– 2006 winning 09 awards will be performed in the schools’ grounds.
Meanwhile a special performance of ‘Charandas’ will be held at the
Vavuniya Town Hall on the 25th of May 2010.

All these dramas were produced by Parakrama Niriella. Amitta
Weerasinghe, Dilip Rohana and Prematilleke Perukanda will execute the
programme. Members of the Janakaraliya Drama Troupe, Nishantha
Kularathne, Sokkalingam Krishanthan, Ajanthan Shanthikumar, Verni
Theresa, Thyagaraja Sivaneshan, Muniyandi Kalidas, Sumudu
Mallawarachchi, Palitha Abeylal, Arosha Tharangani, Ronika Chamali,
Sineth Devinda, Manjula Ranasinghe, Tarzan Sam Paul, Rasaiah
Lohanathan, Malithi Kumari, Selvaraj Leelawathie, Inoka Lankapura,
Chandani Malkanthi, Ranjith Sumith Fernando, Jayantha Muthuthantri,
Dinesh Sri Livera, Suneth Shanthapriya, Asela Chathuranga,
B.T.Rathnasekera, Suresh Asanga, Ruvini Dilanthi, Amila Dinesh, Sarath
Kumara, Dinesh Kumara and Rajeshwaran Satya Prabha will act / perform
in these dramas.