Sihina Rangahala ‘Short Drama’ festival at Elphinstone

Author: Jayashika Padmasiri
Source: The Nation
Date: 24/08/2008

The stage drama series, “Sihina Rangahala” (Theater of Dreams) written and directed by Dananjaya Karunaratne will be staged on August 30, at Elephinstone, at 3.30 p.m. and 6.45 p.m. The actors who are participating in the “Sihina Ranagala” drama series are, Chandani Seniviratne and Susith Nishantha who have taken part in “Valentine Enakan”, Saumya Liyanage in “Last bus eke kathawa”, Palitha Silva and Madini Malwatha in “Chandrawathie Samage Rathriyak”, Chamal Ranasinghe and Dimithu Chinthaka in “Duwana un Dennek”, Kaushalya Fernando, Chamila Peiris and Sanath Wimalasiri in “Oba Sapekshai”. All the above dramas have won the awards at the State and Youth drama festivals.

Music director will be Kapila Poogala arachchi, lighting designer Wasantha Kumara, make-up artist Bhanu Prasanna, while Kosala Thottawathge will be assisting in direction. Stage supervision is by Sameera Nuwan and Sumeda Niroshan, stage arrangements and costumes will be by Dananjaya Karunaratne. Jude Shirimal will be the chief organiser of “Sihina Rangahala”.

“Sihina Ragahala” is sponsored by the Sunethra Bandaranaike Foundation.
The latest addition to the series “Duwana Un Dennek,” is also scheduled to be staged with the series.. “Duwana Un Dennek” is a tragic-comedy influence by physical theater.

Over the past few years Dhananjaya has been experimenting in a more proactive and sensitive style of theatre. This series is a successful result of above experiment. The drama series is being reproduced with the original cast since there is a growing demand for Dhananjayas plays. New interpretation has been added to the plays. One of the plays, “Last Bus Eke Kathawa” has been translated into English and been shown in many countries.
Some of the plays have been already published as a book named “Last Bus Eke Kathawa”.
For more information please log on to www.dhananjaya.net

Dhananjaya Karunarathne is an experimental playwright, director who has written and directed number of plays. He has gained a bachelor degree in painting and sculpture at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya and a masters degree in theatre arts at the University of Wollongong, Australia. In the last few years Dhananjaya has been involved with the Merrigong Theatre Company in Australia. He has been developing his own theatre concept named Theatre against the Audience. Currently Dhananjaya is working as a visiting lecturer in theatre arts at the University of Visual and the Performing Arts.