4 September 2019 12:10 am
It sheds light on the issues of gender disparity that pervade our Sri Lankan culture. The play draws inspiration from sources such as the ‘Valahassa Jataka’ tale where a contingent of men set sail to ‘Lankadveepa’, a magical land and conquer an island inhabited by demonic women.
A story idea for a graphic novel by Deshan Tennekoon has also inspired the play. While the action of the play occurs in the ‘Mystical Island of O’, it concentrates on a young woman named Maya who seeks to rescue the imprisoned queen of the land and restore balance to her nation’s way of life. The play involves traditional and contemporary techniques of storytelling to create a predominantly non-verbal performance. Along with traditional masks, live music and movement throughout the theatre, the play promises a great story to remember. ‘Maya’ is written and directed by Tracy Holsinger and the music direction is by Ruwin de Silva. The cast of talented and dedicated performers include Shala Amarasuriya, Tehani Chitty, Vindhya Fernando, Ryan Holsinger, Andre Howson, Tracy Jayasinghe, Lihan Mendis and Suhashana Wijayaratna.
While the action of the play occurs in the ‘Mystical Island of O’, it concentrates on a young woman named Maya who seeks to rescue the imprisoned queen of the land and restore balance to her nation’s way of life
“We are always contributing to the play. It’s something I love about the production. But at the same time I find it very challenging”. Shala stated that with many prominent roles included in the story, playing Maya in general has been a great experience as she plays the character in the different stages of her life.
“We have to literally become physically fit for the performance”.
Shala
Amarasuriya
“It has been a really good learning experience working with the cast of extremely talented actors”
Lihan
Mendis
good experience. I would say it is a fun show to watch and also a fun show to be in”, she said.
She also mentioned that the play is a kind of response to many of the Sri Lankan mythologies where women are not focused on and shown in a negative light. She stated that this story will help eradicate the pessimistic outlook on women, making the play suitable for all ages.
“I would say it is a fun show to watch and also a fun show to be in”
Tehani Chitty
He stated that his role includes a wide range of choreography, dance and martial arts. The play has been incorporated by many different types of movements that include dance, and different types of martial arts combined from across Asia.
“Andre plays a role of an antagonist, with a motive to take over the land”
Andre
Howson
“Maya” is a play that promises to enlighten the audience with knowledge and skills while filling many hearts with courage and desire to stand up for themselves and everything they represent.
Pixs Courtesy: Deshan Tennakoon