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Wednesday 18th November 2009 I next encountered Henry Janaki. However, it is not impossi- Jayasena in another film that I ble that something of Henry quite like — G. D. L. Perera’s Jayasena’s inspiration that lin- Dahasak Sithuvili. The image of gered in the class rooms of that Henry Jayasena in this film as a school may have rubbed off on the distraught and dejected lover young Manorathne years later! crumpling several old love letters Henry Jayasena left Dehipe and casting them to the waters Primary School a few months after flowing by remains in my mind’s joining it on getting through the eye despite the passage of years. General Clerical Service And, of course, there are his unfor- Examination to join the Public gettable roles as Piyal in Works Department (PWD) of Sri Gamperaliya and Azdak in Lanka. His longest stint in a regu- Hunuwataye Kathawa, his superb lar job was in this now defunct adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s The PWD. These were also years when Caucasian Chalk Circle.Thehe was at his creative best during hauntingly beautiful song from which he wrote, translated, adapt- Kuveni — Andakaren ed and directed his well known Duratheethe— which Henry plays Janelaya (1962), Thavath sions (pahan sangveda is another by Tissa Jayatilaka Henry Jayasena passed part we must. Thank you, Jayasena sings with that other fab- Udesenak (1964), Manaranjana example he cites in the book under away on the 11th of Henry, for the years of ulous star of the Sinhala stage and Wedawarjana (1965), Ahas Malilga comment) that do not translate November after a battle superb theatre and commit- screen Wijeratne Warakagoda, has (1966), Hunuwataye Kathawa adequately or properly into with cancer. I had the privi- ment to values that make not only given me immense joy (1967), Apata Puthey Magak Nethey English (or to any other language over the years but serves also to (1968), Diriya Mawa (1972), Makara lege of knowing this won- life, despite the drudgery perhaps for that matter) their soothe my frayed nerves nowadays. (1973) and Sarana Siyoth Se derful dramatist and the- and evil around us, worth evocative and essential meanings It is to Pradeep Ratnayake on sitar Puthini Habha Yana (1975). In the atre personality intimately. living and celebrating. Your being lost in translation. and the songs from Henry last few years prior to retirement I first met Mr. Jayasena in per- We spent many hours with contribution to life and art Jayasena’s plays (Sath Siyak) that I from his non- creative work, Mr. son a few months after he started each other and in the com- will long endure after we frequently turn to for solace from Jayasena served the National writing the articles contained in pany of mutual friends have forgotten most other the maddening traffic on Youth Services Council (Arts and The Play is the Thing to The Island Colombo’s roads each day as I drive Sports Division) and the Sri Lanka especially in the last few things that have happened newspaper. He and his wife Manel to and back from work. Rupavahini Corporation years after the death of his in the last half a century or together with my wife and I were Before I get hopelessly lost in (Programmes Division), respec- wife, Manel. On each of more. dinner guests at the home of Prof. my reminiscences, let me make a tively, as Deputy Director – those occasions, we used to and Mrs. Jay Erstling down few other comments as is expected General. (A note incorporating comments Rajakeeya Mawatha opposite Royal share a few drinks and ciga- of a speaker at a book release. I The Play is the Thing is peopled made at an event to mark the recent College. The good professor was a rettes and invariably end should like to focus on Henry by virtually all those connected release of Mr. Jayasena’s reminis- visiting American Fulbright schol- up singing some songs from Jayasena the man now. Born in with the literary scene from cences of and observations on the ar then attached to the Faculty of 1931, educated at the Gampaha around the mid-20th century to - his plays. Henry was Sri Lankan stage and screen titled Law at the University of Colombo branch of Lorenz College and at date — personalities with whom delighted when he learnt ‘The Play is the Thing.’) and I had just come on board as Nalanda Vidyalaya, Colombo, those of my generation and before that my friend Bandula Executive Director of the US-Sri Henry Jayasena had some very are familiar and several of whom, consider it an hon- Lanka Fulbright Commission for Warnakulasooriya, who interesting classmates. Among happily, are with us in the audi- our to be invited to Mutual Academic Exchange suc- once hosted one of our get those he mentions in The Play is ence today as we felicitate Henry participate in and ceeding the venerable Bogoda to-gethers, knew the lyrics the Thing are the former film star Jayasena once more. The author speak at this event Premaratne, another distin- of the songs from Thavath Ravindra Rupasena, a heart-throb makes special mention of Martin where Mr. Henry guished son of Sri Lanka as is of the cinemagoers of the 1950s, Wickremasinghe, Ediriweera Udesenak and also the dra- Jayasena and Vijitha Henry Jayasena, although the for- Karunaratne Abeysekera, broad- Sarachchandra, Chitrasena and matic dialogue. Henry him- Yapa Publications mer’s forte is education and caster and lyricist of repute (both Vajira, Amaradeva, Senator Reggie self joined in lustily in the are releasing Mr. Buddhist philosophy — theatre of now among the dear departed) and Perera, Lester James and singing and in the recita- Jayasena’s latest book, The Play is a different kind shall we say? I Stanley Jayasinghe the former Sri Sumithra Peiris, Bandula the Thing. It contains a series of My first encounter with Henry tion of the catchy dialogue. Lanka test cricketer, Jayawardhana, A. J. and Trilicia articles originally published as a Jayasena though was very much After the singing was over, Leicestershire professional and, on Gunawardena, K.K. (Karen) weekly feature beginning in April earlier than the fag end of the they both reminisced on a occasion, a delightfully aggressive Breckenridge, Ajith 1989 in the respected national 1980s. It was actually way back in cricket columnist. Another note- Samaranayake, Bill MacAlpine, particular performance of English daily, The Island.Mr.the late 1950s, as a wee schoolboy worthy cricketing personality who Lionel Fernando and Somalatha Thavath Udesenak which Jayasena informs us that the con- in Kandana, that that ‘meeting’ was both a close friend and theatre Subasinghe, Iranganie and had taken place at St. tents of the book are a record of took place. An uncle of mine used collaborator of Mr. Jayasena’s is Winston Serasinghe, Somabandhu his time in the theatre, of allied to own a cinema hall — Ranjani — Servatius College, Matara, the former cricket umpire, Fitzroy and Ravibandhu among others. activities and cultural events not which was right next door to the in 1975. That production of de Mel. I thoroughly enjoyed myself re- excluding his successes, failures, Post Master’s bungalow where my Thavath Udesenak was His first notable job, Mr. reading Henry Jayasena’s essays joys, sorrows and exasperations in family and I then lived. It is at this Jayasena informs us, was as in this book. The highlights among directed by Henry’s good the course of what I would term an cinema hall that I watched my first Assistant Teacher of English at the them for me are those that deal friend G. P. de Silva who eventful and illustrious career. ever film, a South Indian one titled Dehipe Primary School in with ‘the house that Henry built’ together with Bandula was I refer to this event we are par- Chandralekha with M.K. Radha, if Padiyapellela in the Nuwara Eliya (pp. 41 - 42), ‘The great Ananda on the tutorial staff of the ticipating in today as a book memory serves, in the lead role. It district in 1950. Here it is where he Rajakaruna’ (pp.112 - 114), J.R. release as I prefer ‘release’ to was not long thereafter, as I recol- famous Matara school at wrote and directed his first play — Jayewardene and Pieter ‘launch’. It is, however, not with- lect, that I saw Sri 296 one of the that time. Janaki — by lamplight (pp. 143 — Keuneman (pp.107 - 109) and his out hesitation that I even use stars of which was none other than I shall always remember 146 give the reader the relevant recollections of and encomia to ‘release’. In one of the essays in the author and noted dramatist we details)! This school in Dehipe is Ediriweera Sarachchandra and to Henry Jayasena as a gentle The Play is the Thing,Henry are with today. In the essay titled that which guided Jayalath Peradeniya’s world of arts. Please and caring human being. Jayasena refers to the Sinhala Mesmerised by Rukmani Devi Manorathne, the well - known the- permit me to dwell on these essays He was a fine friend and term for an event of this nature (pp.84-88 of The Play is the Thing) atre personality of today, during as they are well worth dwelling which is dorata vaduma and he the author tells us how he came to congenial companion. It is his formative years. Manorathne upon. observes rightly that there are cer- be a member of the cast of this difficult to part from such was certainly too young to either tain Sinhala terms and expres- film.

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