Supporting theatre in these hard times and fostering society’s sense of humanity
Of all the arts in Sri Lanka, theatre is the most neglected, considered unnecessary for the development of societal values, discipline, and most importantly the sense of humanity or compassion which seems to be fast disappearing from the minds of the present-day society.
The prevailing indiscipline and corruption can be avoided greatly if indirect disciplinary modes are implanted in society. One such simple means is driving people to freely and voluntarily watch theatre. The late Dr. G. K. Hattotusegama was one who took this concept to the people through Street Theatre.
Theatre folk are unable to commit fully to the theatre arts even voluntarily due to a lack of finances. The poor practitioners of theatre, and particularly the partners -- playwrights, actors, actresses, stage hands, make-up artists, and the whole gamut of involved personnel have become totally pauperised and have no way to survive.
I have a solution to solve this problem. If the President, as the Finance Minister and further as a lover and promoter of the arts, can approve the introduction of a lottery titled ‘Nataya Setha’ by the Lotteries Board to create a “theatre fund’, it can be a means to support all the artists involved in the field through a grant system. This Theatre Fund can be a separate department of the Ministry of Culture.
I can vouch that the general populace too would support such a lottery since they know whom the funds would be allocated to. The buyers of the lottery tickets spend only a tiny sum of Rupees 20 with the aim and wish of winning an award. The government of course would have its share of profits and the tax benefit too.
Theatre is a means to bring out what humanism is. Viewing meaningful serious theatre, audiences become moved to tears. So it is when they see good comedy, they break into laughter. Theatre is a collective art, and most importantly and fundamentally it is religious for it moulds and guides the character of humans imbuing understanding and perception.
In the West, specifically England, France,
Germany, Austria, Italy, Russia and the United States, a play runs for years. Some go on even for 30- 40 years with daily performances, of course with regular changes of cast. When Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of the Phantom of the Opera opened, I was in London. My wife and I waited for almost three years to watch it.
London is so famous for plays mainly at the West End which has some 38 huge theatres within a radius of one kilometre. This is besides the theatres right round the suburbs of West End where there may be close upon 50 middle range theatres. All of them are famous as experimental theatres. Theatres at Hammersmith, West Hampstead and Kilburn like the Tricycle Theatre are known for such productions.
Theatre is a source of income for governments too in those countries. In 1997 or 1998 I could remember in the UK Budget, the second highest revenue earner was theatre as published in the British media.
I do not want to elaborate on theatre in Broadway. There are very, very, successful and popular productions, some running for decades and decades.
Theatre can be converted into a decent source of income also for the annual budgets too if it is encouraged by the Government to prosper whilst providing a good employer scheme as well. This has to be made into a professional mechanism like any other business.
One must remember that there are a huge number of graduates passing out from universities all over the country and a separate University (Aesthetic Studies) exists for theatre and the arts. Besides theatre and drama is also a curricular subject in all educational institutions in the country. What artistes want is encouragement and the availability of finance and freedom.
-Dr. Namel Weeramuni Via email