Dayananda Gunawardena
Encyclopedia
Dayananda Gunawardena was a Sri Lanka
n playwright
, actor
, lyricist
, [dramatist]], radio play producer, and Sinhala Radio Play writer.
, where his father Don Simon was an English Teacher. He completed his schooling from the Government school, Ugampola (1943–46) and Government Secondary School, Veyngoda (1946–51). In 1951, he joined the Ananda College
, Colombo. While at school, he was active in many societies such as the drama society and was the Junior Cadet Captain and served as the vice-president of the college geographic society. He was awarded the D. B. Jayatilleke Literary Award and the Amarasena Art Award (both in open categories) while studying at Ananda College. In 1957, he joined the University of Peradiniya and completed his General Arts Qualifying Examination (subjects taken: Sinhala, Geography and Economics). He married Irangani Ranatunga of Gampaha on September 28, 1967 and they had three children.
- was made into a film.
"Kaamare Pore" (1962) Produced as a single stage drama in Sinhala this is an adaptation of the Play 'Box and Cox
' by the English playwright John Maddison Morton
and It was first staged without any songs. Gunawardena had produced sixteen plays, Particularly notable amongst them are Gajaman Puwatha (1975) and Madhura Javanika (1983). He formed the Nalu Kirthi Sabha Theatre Group in the 1970s. Gunawardena is credited with introducing docudrama
s to the Sinhala theatre and with showcasing the talent of Gajaman Nona
, the Sinhala poetess. His Gajaman Puwatha (1976) was the first Sinhala play to adopt the docudrama style. Another notable play of Gunawardana that is Madhura Javanika (Joyous Scenes).
This drama picks up the period of war between kings Rama
and Ravana
and noteworthy events in the country's history and the influence of the western invaders on Sri Lanka culture with dramatized chronicle of the 'Hingala'(Sinhala
) people. It continues even in to modern times, where women seek employment in Dubai as housemaids.
In 2007, some of his plays were restaged in an attempt to raise funds for reviving public interest about his works.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, [dramatist]], radio play producer, and Sinhala Radio Play writer.
Early life
Gunawardena was born in Halgampitiya in GampahaGampaha
Gampaha is an urban city in Sri Lanka and is the capital of the Gampaha District in Western Province, north of Colombo. Gampaha District is separated from Colombo mainly by the Kelani River.-Namesake:...
, where his father Don Simon was an English Teacher. He completed his schooling from the Government school, Ugampola (1943–46) and Government Secondary School, Veyngoda (1946–51). In 1951, he joined the Ananda College
Ananda College
Ananda College , Colombo which is considered as the leading National school in Sri Lanka, was established on November 1, 1886, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
, Colombo. While at school, he was active in many societies such as the drama society and was the Junior Cadet Captain and served as the vice-president of the college geographic society. He was awarded the D. B. Jayatilleke Literary Award and the Amarasena Art Award (both in open categories) while studying at Ananda College. In 1957, he joined the University of Peradiniya and completed his General Arts Qualifying Examination (subjects taken: Sinhala, Geography and Economics). He married Irangani Ranatunga of Gampaha on September 28, 1967 and they had three children.
Career
Gundwardena's first notable play was Nari Bena (1961). It was based on a Sinhala folk-tale and was full of songs.Lionel Algama assisted to write Some of the memorable songs in this play - like Ahala malin gas pirila balanna hari lassanai and Kumatada sohoure kandulu salanne. It became hugely popular and has continued to be staged for forty years. His next play Bakmaha Akunu (1962) - based on the French drama The Marriage of FigaroThe Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
- was made into a film.
"Kaamare Pore" (1962) Produced as a single stage drama in Sinhala this is an adaptation of the Play 'Box and Cox
Box and Cox
Box and Cox is a one act farce by John Maddison Morton. It is based on a French one-act vaudeville, Frisette, which had been produced in Paris in 1846....
' by the English playwright John Maddison Morton
John Maddison Morton
John Maddison Morton was an English playwright who specialized in one-act farces. His most famous farce was Box and Cox . He also wrote comic dramas, pantomimes and other theatrical pieces.-Biography:...
and It was first staged without any songs. Gunawardena had produced sixteen plays, Particularly notable amongst them are Gajaman Puwatha (1975) and Madhura Javanika (1983). He formed the Nalu Kirthi Sabha Theatre Group in the 1970s. Gunawardena is credited with introducing docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
s to the Sinhala theatre and with showcasing the talent of Gajaman Nona
Gajaman Nona
Dona Isabella Koraneliya was a Sri Lankan author who was noted for having the ability to write and recite impromptu Sinhala poetry. She was born in Kollupitiya, Ceylon as the second daughter of Don Francisco Senaratna Kumara Perumal and Fransina Jasenthu Graivo...
, the Sinhala poetess. His Gajaman Puwatha (1976) was the first Sinhala play to adopt the docudrama style. Another notable play of Gunawardana that is Madhura Javanika (Joyous Scenes).
This drama picks up the period of war between kings Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
and Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
and noteworthy events in the country's history and the influence of the western invaders on Sri Lanka culture with dramatized chronicle of the 'Hingala'(Sinhala
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
) people. It continues even in to modern times, where women seek employment in Dubai as housemaids.
In 2007, some of his plays were restaged in an attempt to raise funds for reviving public interest about his works.
Institutions served
- Producer – Programmes, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (1961–1989)
- Director – Audio Research, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (1989–1990)
- Director – English Service, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (1990–1992)
Training & Scholarship
- 1957 - Moscow – International Student and Youth Festival
- 1962 – Rumania – Sri Lankan Representative at the International Drama Federation and Study of Drama *in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Russia
- 1966 – Awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship for Study of Radio and Television at BBC by Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
- 1978 – East Germany – Directing of “NariBena” under the Cultural Exchange Programme
- 1979 – Yugoslavia – Sri Lankan Representative at the First Television Festival of the Non Aligned
- 1991 – South Korea – Conducted a Research on “Buddhism and Korean Theatre” following a scholarship awarded by the South Korean International Cultural Foundation
Theater
- Swarnathilaka– 1958 – Produced by Kegalu Vidyalaya Drama Society
- Prassaya – 1959 – Staged by National Drama Circle
- NariBena -1960 – First Production for Thurstan College Drama Society, 1961 – Second Production for Amateur Drama Society
- Kamare Pore – 1960 – Adaptation from English Drama “Box and Cox”
- Emathi Pattama– 1960 – Adaptation from the Bulgarian Drama “Golemanov”
- Pinguththara– 1961 – Produced by the Sinhala Society of the University of Colombo
- Bakmaha Akunu– 1963 – Adaptation of the French Drama “Marriage of Figaro” (Introduced the Revolving Stage to Sri Lanka for the first time)
- Denna Depole– 1964 – Produced from Hemasiri Prewardhana’s script
- Jasaya saha Lenchina– 1965 –
- Jeevana Vanchawa hewath Ibikatta– 1965
- Vikaraye Akaraya– 1967 – Produced for the Drama Festival of ‘Lassana’ Newspapers
- Kabaye Habe– 1971
- Padmawathi– 1974 – Produced along with Lakshman Jayakody after editing the original publication of Charles Dias
- Gajaman Puwatha (– 1975
- Banku Natakaya - 1977 - Produced for the 10th Anniversary of the People’s Bank
- Madhura Javanika– 1983 – Produced in association with Jones Overseas 1984 – Winner of Peace Award (Drama)
- Ananda Jawanika– 1986 - Awarded Best Direction and Special Award for Script at the 1987 State Drama Festival. In addition, certificates awarded for Best Music, Stage Management and Acting.
- Mathaka Bhaktha– 1990 – Produced on the invitation of the Police Sub Services Headquarters