Hunuwataye Kathawa Full Drama Free Download
Melvin Amey
He also worked consistently in television series after the introduction of television to Sri Lanka in the late 1970s. Jayasena was involved with the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation from its early beginnings in the 1980s. He portrayed the role of "Sudu Seeya" in the tele drama Doo Daruwo directed by Nalan Mendis and written by Dr. Somaweera Senanayaka.[13] The serial became highly popularized and was awarded at many local television award festivals. It was the longest tele drama telecast during the 1990s in Sri Lanka.
Performing Artists Sanjeewa Upendra, Selvaraj Leelawathy, Ronika Chamalee, Sathis Surendra Ekanayake, Nishantha Kularatne, Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, Rasaiah Lohanandan, Arosha Tharanganie, Devran Sri Livera, Murugesu Ajanthan, Palitha Abelal, Inoka Lankapura, Sarath Banagala, Amil Dinesh Kumara, Vijitha Hettige, Kumareshan Mahendiran, Thilini Nimesha, Madeera Udishani, Samanlatha Dissanayake, Dinusha Alahakoon, Thiyagaraja Sivanesan, Alaguraj Yashoprasad, Duminda Mendis, Nipun Nirmal Bandara performs in the drama.
Music is composed by Sumudu Mallawarachchi. Ajanthan Shanthakumar provides stage lighting. Stage management is by Arosha Tharnagani while Ronika Chamalee contributes as choreographer and assistant director. Jude Srimal is the main organizer of the drama and all seats are box planned and tickets are available only at Lionel Wendt Theater.
The Media Secretary of the organizing committee said that the idea behind this award was to honour their past pupils, who have emerged as distinguished personalities in society by serving and nourishing in various arts like aesthetic, drama and film fields with their many talents. It was under the guidance of U A S Perera at Nalanda College that Henry Jayasena and many other students made their way into the theatre and other fields of Arts.
by Chamitha KuruppuA new production of Henry Jayasena's celebrated play 'HunuwatayeKathawa' was performed at the Lionel Wendt theatre on February 9 and 10and there will be three more performances at the John de Silva memorialtheatre on February 13 to 15.
A still from the rehearsals with Henry Jayasena taking the centre stage.A young drama enthusiast who was amazed by Prof. EdiriweeraSarachchandra's eminent play 'Maname' watched it more than ten times tograsp the unique experience.Just after one year the same youth had the opportunity of playing therole of prince 'Maname'. Apart from his unforgettable performance as 'Maname'celebrated actor Henry Jayasena is still in the hearts of art lovers forhis notable roles in Gamperaliya as 'Piyal' and in Doo Daruwo as 'suduseeya'.Henry has broken new ground in Sinhala theatre while contributingimmensely towards literature and song writing.Henry Jayasena first produced Hunuwataye Kathawa, a translation ofBrecht's 'Chalk Circle' in Sri Lanka in 1967.The drama created a niche not only for Henry but also for local theatreat large. Giving an end to nearly a five years break this veterandramatist is back in the limelight with his renowned play 'HunuwatayeKathawa'.Henry who has created a celebrity line of actors on stage dramas andfilms has selected the best of talent from the present day Sinhala stageto do justice to the unforgettable characters of Hunuwataye Kathawa, whichcreated a niche for local theatre at large.ScholarshipIn the 1950s young Henry through a scholarship got the opportunity tostudy further about drama in Russia. While in Russia he watched BertoltBrecht's the 'Caucasian Chalk Circle'. In 1967, Henry baptized Brecht's'Caucasian Chalk Circle' as 'Hunuwataye Kathawa' which was highlyacclaimed as a superb piece of theatre by audiences and critics of Sinhaladrama. The production received rave reviews both here and abroad.Hunuwate Kathawa has a long run of 32 years - the longest run of aproduction in this country - from 1967 to 1999 with sterling performancesby Manel Jayasena as Grusha, Henry Jayasena as Azadak, WijeratneWarakagoda as the Narrator and Santin Gunawardena as Simon Sashawa.This production is presented by the Bank of Ceylon as part of itsactive participation in major cultural events of the country.A special feature of the new production is the participation of youngrecruits of the 'Janakala Kendraya' of folk arts at Battaramulla by theSamurdhi Ministry.With the new production of 'Hunuwataye Kathawa' after half a century oftremendous effort, Henry will be able to leave behind one of the eminentpieces of theatre for the future generations.HistoryWritten in 1944, while Brecht was living in America the 'CaucasianChalk Circle' was initially intended for Broadway. It never quite made itthere, but was instead premiered by students at Carlton College inNorthfield, Minnesota in 1948. Brecht's source for the play is most likelyKlabund's 'Circle of Chalk', which was based on an ancient Chinese playwritten in 1300 AD with the same name. Brecht adapted this story intoparable form and changed the setting to Soviet Georgian near the end ofWorld War II.The play itself is unusual for Brecht because it has a relatively happyending; everything works out for Grusha. At the same time, the 'CaucasianChalk Circle' is clearly a communist play - whoever can make the best useof resources in order to provide for other deserves to get thoseresources.The play did not gain popularity in the United States until the 1950s.The first professional production took place at Hedgerow Theatre inPhiladelphia in 1948 and was directed by Eric Bently. Soon thereafter theCaucasian Chalk Circle became Brecht's most popular parable in the UnitedStates. **** Back ****
Although his earlier plays such as 'Pavu karayo' which was produced in 1959 met with brickbats, subsequent productions such as 'Kuveni' (1963), 'Hunuwataye Kathawa' (1969), 'Tawath Udesanak', 'Apata Puthe Magak Nethe' (1968), 'Diriya Mawa saha age daruwo' (1972), 'Makara' (1974) 'Sarana Piyaapthse Puthuni Hamba yana' (1975) and 'Sirisangabo' (1978) earned a name for him and established himself as a major dramatist in Sinhala theatre. Apart from being a master producer of drama and actor, Henry Jayasena was a multi-faceted personality who had proved his mettle in diverse fields such as cinema and television as an actor. He was also brilliant as a bi-lingual writer.
As all good writers are good readers, Henry Jayasena was a voracious reader who read books both in Sinhala and English. He was a writer who could only write if he had an impulse to do so. For instance, some of his dramas such as "Thawath Udasanak" were born out of a personal experience. The drama was based on a calf named Rabbada Aiyya. Henry was fond of the calf. However, when moved following the Second World War, Henry had to abandon the calf which subsequently he learnt died having fallen into an abandoned well. He wrote his autobiography entitled "Karaliyaka Kathawak" and "Nim Neti Kathawak" which was a sequel to the "Minisun Vu Daruwo" which was written in the 60s.
Henry Janasena's larger than life shadow cast on the Sinhala theatre will remain as an enduring influence in years to come. However, his singular role as a master producer of drama and as a bilingual who brilliantly adapted several dramas including Caucasian Chalk Circle into Sinhala which stand the test of time owing to its rich language and metaphor should be judged against the backdrop of contemporary Sinhala theatre. The rich tradition of translations and adaptation in Sinhala theatre to which Henry Jayasena contributed to a great extent, is, unfortunately dying due to the dearth of competent translators.
Given the poor quality of most of the translations in Sinhala, it is highly unlikely masterpieces such as 'Hunuwataye Kathawa' and 'Diriya mawa ha age daruwo', would ever emerge from contemporary Sinhala theatre. For instance 'Hunuwataye Kathawa' which was one time prescribed text for Advanced Level Sinhala is one of the masterpieces in Sinhala theatre albeit it is an adaptation. It is so rich and so aptly adapted into Sinhala that Grusha, the female lead in the play, the role continuously played by Henry Jayasena's wife Manel and Azdak which Henry Jayasena played over the years remain as major characters in Sinhala theatre. His play such as 'Diriya mawa ha age daruwo' which is the adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's "Mother Courage" has been and is still being a popular drama which captured the quintessential turbulent atmosphere of a war ravaged country.
I have been interested in the theater since my young days. My fortunate association with Henry and his wife Manel, Namel Weeramuni and his wife Malini, Prof. Ediriweera Saratchchandra and, of course, Gamini Hattatuwagama has honed my appreciation of the Sinhala theater, dance, drama, and music of all forms. Other who helped sustain my interest in theater included the prominent film and stage actress Nita Fernando, writer and critic A.J. Gunawardane, who for a short while was my roommate in New York while he was on a fellowship in the United States, and my fleeting association with the likes of actor producer Dhamma Jagoda. In later years, while in the United States, my close association with Karen Breckenridge, who was serving in the diplomatic service of Sri Lanka in New York, was important in continuing my interest. He was a versatile actor and connoisseur of Sinhala and Western theater.
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