Theatrical hails go to hills
The children of Vidyartha College Kandy recently won a number of awards in the Noorthy section of All Island School Tower Hall Drama Festival.
Competing with 38 schools in the final round, Vidyartha won a multiple awards including the Best Director, the Best Music (Roshan Perera), the Best Makeup Artiste (Nayanathara de Silva), the Best Set Designing (Adheesha Kushan and Charana Wijesinghe) and the Best Actor (Pansilu)
While Vidyartha won the first place, Siddhartha College Eppawela won the second place and Mahamaya Girls School in Nugegoda the third place. Playing on the leading roles in ‘Sri Wickrema’ Noorthi drama, young Pansilu Kasthuriarachchi who played the role of Ehelepola Kumarihamy won the Best Actor award.
‘This is the first time in the history of 80 years Vidyartha College won such a major islandwide award in theatre’ said Saman Liyanarachchi, the teacher-in-charge of drama with whose entrance to the school two years ago children started major interest on theatre.
Last year Vidyaratha College won the First place at the All Island School Drama Competition’s Sarachchandra Drama Section. Vidyartha student performed the late Ediriweera Sarachchandra’s drama ‘Elowa Gihin Meowa Awa play’.
In 2023, dramatists from Vidyartha College won the first place out of 38 of Buddhist Drama Festival organised by the YMBA Borella.
The subject Theatre and Drama was introduced to school five years ago. But over the years the subject has become one of the favourite among the children,” said Mr. Liyanarachchi who joined Vidyartha College as his first appointment after graduating from the University of the Visual and performing arts. With the plan to showcase the talents of children, Vidyartha College is planning to have a drama festival in Kandy. The teacher-in-charge of drama thanked his two assistants Manori Galanga and Priyangika Dusarchani other two drama teachers and the principal Lieutenant Colonel M. R. P. Mayadunne who gives unstinted support to promote theatre and drama in the school.