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Maname and Its Impact on Our National Culture

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Maname and Its Impact on Our National Culture Tuesday 3rd June, 2008 11 The 94th Birth Anniversary of the late Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra falls today Gunaratne. Sarachchandra in his idiom had to be stabilized. With this ence, as he has acknowledged was Ludowyk memorial lecture; delivered end in view Sarachchandra embarked immensely helpful in creating MAN- at the University of Peradeniya in on an intensive research for any AME (1956) which has been universal- 1989 said: “It was the student of the remains of what could be called an ly hailed as the initial step in the cre- Sinhala society of the university col- indigenous theatre. The book “The ation of a National theatre form in Maname and lege who, without quite understanding Sinhalese Folk Play,” published in 1952 Sinhala. it laid the foundation for the modern was the end result of this research It needs, emphasis, however, that Sinhala theatre”. “Anything called a project. Therein Sarachchandra Maname was an original creation and Sinhala society might sound like a tri- demonstrated that in these forms of was deeply rooted in the Sri Lankan its impact on fle strange in the climate of today, but folk rituals and entertainments could artistic traditions, and it was in no there was no communal or ethnic feel- be found dramatic interludes and other way an imitation of a foreign form. ings attached to this organization at theatrical features which were parallel The Noh and Kabuki of Japan, the all, in the time I am talking to certain forms of folk theatre in the Peking opera in China and the about. It is just students from present day India and which could be Nadagama in Sri Lanka all can trace our national Sinhala speaking homes in the final analysis be traced to the their origins to the same roots that who formed them- classical Sanskrit theatre as evidenced created Kalidasa’s Sakuntala. When selves into a group in ‘Natya Sastra’ of Bharata. As a Sarachchandra came into contact that would conduct sequel to this publication, the with these living theatres in the Far its proceedings in Rockefeller Foundation in the United East which had survived from the past culture Sinhala because State of America granted he was able to re-create a national the- by P. B. Galahitiyawe spiritual heritage which dates everybody was Sarachchandra a scholarship to study atre form which had gone into (Assistant General Secretary of the back to the 3rd century B.C. English speak- world theatre and this provided him abeyance in South Asia due to the ing in their with an opportunity to visit Japan. As vicissitudes faced during long period Ediriweera Sarachchandra Research Once they were conquered by people rooted in western cul- ordinary inter- Sarachchandra states in his autobio- of foreign rule. His production MAN- and Activation Foundation) tural values and norms values course”... The graphical work ‘PIN ATI SARASAWI AME, in 1956 followed by a number of totally foreign to the East students of the VARAMAK DENNE’ his first visit to other plays gave modern Sri Lankan he golden jubilee cele- were introduced and cultural Sinhala socie- Japan on this tour was a mere acci- theatre a resurgence and provided a bration of Professor friction was inevitable. The ty went on dent. “From India” he wrote “I pro- cue for the discovery of the roots of TEdiriweera advent of the west had dis- with their ceeded to Japan. This visit was not due Asian theatre. Sarachchandra’s ‘MAN- turbed the placid waters of adaptations to any special, attraction or due to Apart from Sarachchandra's contri- AME’ was held at Lional Asian life particularly in the every year, curiosity about that country, but bution to rediscover the roots of Wendt theatre in Colombo south. Its initial impact had grew up a the- because it was easier to stop there on Asian theatre, it is also an accepted on 3rd of November 2006. dazzled the Asians mind and atre-going’ my way to America”. It was with fact that the Sri Lanka Tamil theatre Considered a landmark in made many early ‘elite’, public com- immense pleasure that he records how got re-awakening as a result of his Sinhala theatre since its blind imitators of prised this visit brought researches and creations in the field first performance in 1956 up the west. At a sin- of theatre. to date Maname has created a the same A mutual understanding among record in Sri Lanka’s Arts time various communities through cul- world by its continuous popu- there ture is vital for the realization of larity and satisfying the tastes the National Psyche of any of ‘Rasikas’ both urban and nation. Sarachchandra’s works rural for over three genera- have given an appropriate way of tions. It is said that is a work finding a solution for national of art “that never gets old and harmony. A fact that is less remains forever fresh in its widely known is that the revival appeal.” in drama which he became an Since Maname’s first per- inspiration, if not influence in formance in 1956, numerous revival of traditional Tamil comments and books have been was a drama. The work of Prof. S. written by various scholars growing Vithyanandan in the dealing with its theatrical craft, recognition of University of Peradeniya was poetic sophistication and dramatic the values of their an undoubted emulation of own heritage among Asia’s Sarachchandra’s work. It is intellectuals who received worthwhile to note here As cultural leader a by- lingual (or rather the following Sarachchandra contributed in multi-lingual) education lines of Prof. at that time. The dilem- K. no small measure to clarify the ma faced by those intel- position of art in our society lectuals under these circumstance was a today. In recent years there has question of selection been a strong trend of opinion and synthesis; what aspects of tradition upholding the view that art were to be revived should be subservient to ideolo- and how? How was a synthesis to be gy. But Sarachchandra has con- achieved so that sistently upheld the independ- the “foreign” ence of art. He has been against would the utilization of art for any type of propaganda. concentration, but less attention has no been drawn to its cultural impact longer which contributed to forming our appear national identity in the field of arts. “alien”? The Therefore the purpose of this article is solutions for such confined only to pin-pointing some of questions did not the contributions rendered by come quickly. Sarachchandra in the area of culture Asian intellectuals through ‘Maname’. had to go through sev- It was a well known fact that unlike eral phases and experi- the majority of the African, South ments with diverse modes. American and Australian nations Among the Sri Lankan intel- which came under European colonial- lectuals engaged in this task ism, Asian countries had and continue Sarachchandra was one of to have a sophisticated cultural and the noblest. Emerging as a for- midable and versatile Prof Ediriweera Sarachchandra academic Sarachchandra engaged in a wide variety of mostly of by-lingual middle class who gular reward. He was well aware of Indrapalan, introducing pursuits which included phi- enjoyed these productions and in order the ancient theatre tradition in India Sarachchandra at the inaugural con- losophy, music, creative liter- to satisfy the growing demand public which brought out great creations vocation of the University of Jaffna ature, criticism and especial- performances of these plays were put such as Kalidasa’s ‘Sakuntala’ and in 1988 when the Degree of Doctor of ly in drama; and it was on at the ‘King George Hall’ of the uni- that tradition had completely disap- Letters (D’Lit) was conferred on through drama that he was versity”. Among those adaptations peared centuries ago in that country Sarachchandra. “In the course of his able to form a new artistic ‘Kapuwa Kapothi” (an adaptation of and what remained were rudiments of dedicated researches in this field movement in the island’s cul- Gogols’ ‘Marriage’) was the most suc- it in folk theatrical forms such as Prof. Sarachchandra made a substan- tural scenario. At the begin- cessful play, which had about sixty ‘YAKSA GANA’ in North India and tial contribution to the understanding ning, when he was at the uni- shows in the first round itself. ‘Therukuttu’ in the South. But when of the fundamental unity of the cul- versity college as a student Subsequently Sarachchandra began he saw the ‘Noh’ and ‘Kabuki’ theatres tures of lower South Asia, and the and later as a assistant lec- writing his own plays and producing of Japan he felt as if the image had common woofs and warps that run turer Sarachchandra them. suddenly appeared in front of his own across the fabric of these cultures; a engaged in translating some This soon led to the realization that eyes. Hence he decided to postpone his contribution to which we in this uni- of the best western plays if theatre was to be a lively art form visit to America and stayed for several versity attach great value. into Sinhala with the help, commanding a deep commitment from months in Japan studying these two of D.J. Wijeratne, and A.P. art loving people a national theatrical national theatre forms. This experi- Continued on Page 12 N www.island.lk n o o ill be w ly ment w s n dvertis days y d o Your a for 30 o e - d daily ur ifi / ublishe Wo Pictorial lass 00 p rl C s. 2 d For R Wi onth de Web one m For all your Advertising requirements on Send us details with pictures to House & Property, Vehicles or Anything.
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