EDIRIWEERA SARACHCHANDRA

To Ediriweer sarachchandra, Sri Lanka owes the birth of a new tradition in drama; the stylized drama, which is truely indigenous in character. He wrote plays which were lively and amusing deeply moving and artistic.

First a Collage teacher, then a newspaper administrator, University teacher, playwright and producer, novelist and short story writer and a critic, he was born in Gammeddegoda, Dodanduwa, Ratgama on 03 June 1914 to a lower middle class family. The parents gave him the name Eustace Reginold Richard de Silva. Later he adopted the name Weditantrige Ediriweera Sarachchandra. His father was a postal clerk and the mother a Sinhalese teacher.

He attended several school for his early education namely Richmond Collage, Galle. St. John’s Panadura, St. Aloysius, Galle and St. Thomas’, Mt. Lavinia. At the age of 20 he entered the University Collage, Colombo and obtained an honors degree in Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrt.

After graduation he taught Sinhala for some time at St. Peter’s Collage, Wellawatte. Thereafter he worked for one year in the administration division of Lake House. In 1939, he married Ayline and had two daughter Nanditha and Sunethra.

During 1939-1940 he studied Indian philosophy and music at Shantinikethan in India. On his return, he joined St. Thomas’ Collage, Mt. Lavinia and was a Sinhalese teacher for two years. He changes, his job in 1942 to join the Sinhalese Encyclopaedia as a sub editor. In 1944 he secured an M.A. in Indian Philosophy from the University of London (external) The same year, he joined the University Collage, Colombo as a lecturer in Pali. He then proceeded to the University of London and obtained an M.A. in Western Philosophy. For his research in Buddhist Philosophy, the University awarded him the Ph.D. degree. His thesis for the Ph.D. was on The Buddhist Psychology of Perception and The Theory of Bhavanga. He was lecture in Pali for some time. In 1952, he was appointed lecture in modern Sinhalese at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya.

During 1955-1956 he studied drama under a Rockfeller Scholarship in a number of countries. He had the opportunity to study drama in the Universities in India, Japan and America. He contracted a second marriage in 1965.

Then a train of prestigious position came his way, A visiting Professor at Ohio State Denison University lecture at Earlham Collage. Indian state, return to Colombo University, Ambassador in France, Research Professor at East West Center of Havai State, external lecture in drama at the University of Colombo, honorary doctorate from the University of Jaffna. D. Lit from the University of Peradeniya, Professor Emeritus University of Peradeniya, Advisor, Sarvodaya Movement, Media Consultant Lake House, Consultant, Ministry of Culture Affairs the award of Kumaran Asan honour from India and the Megasesse Suri award from Philippines.

He is undoubtedly the greatest Personality in Sinhalese dramatic art. Yet, his literary career began as far back as 1949 with the publication of Modern Sinhalese fiction. He was the first to apply Western Standard to make a distinction between good and bad in Sinhalese literature. Sahitya Vidyawa, The Sinhalese Novel, Kalpana Lokaya, Natya Gaveshana are some of his works in this field.

Among the ten novels had written Malagiya Eththo and Malavunge Avurududa, Vilasiniyakage Premaya stand out as works of artistic perfection.As a short story writer, he surpassed many in his time. Kalayage Avamen, Maya Rupaya, Rupa Sundari and Gruhiniya Midiya ha Upasikawa were collection of short stories. There were also a few translations to his credit, Pransa Keti Katha, Russian Keti katha, Menik Sami and Yerma fall into this category. Sinhalese Folk Play is a product of his indepth study of the traditional theatre of the Sinhalese.

There was no question that Sarachchandra was the brightest star the brilliance of which spread over the length and breadth of the Sinhala Drama. His experiments in finding out what was best in an indigenous setting began with the production of western dialogue plays as translation or adaptation. Kapuwa Kapothi, Magul Prasthawa, Walaha and Manager were some of the productions that belonged to this class. The realization that he was not following the correct path came to him with Veda Hatana. This was a joint production of Moliere’s LE MALADE Imaginaire in Sinhala with Neuman Jubal. The spectator laughed their bowels out when the play came on stage but it did not penetrate deep into the heart of a Sinhalese audience.

Then came the culmination of Ssrachchandra’s aspirations for a truely indigenous dramatic tradition with the staging of Maname on 3 November 1956 at Lionel Wendt. Maname marked the turning point in Sinhalese drama. Maname is based on culla Dhanudhara Jatake, which many times in the past had been brought before the lovers. But Maname of Sarachchandra is a unique production. Princess Maname is different from the princess we are familiar with. So are the prince and the Veddah king. The play gives a universal message which in the past no production of Maname had ever conveyed. Sinhabahu brought to the stage five years later deal with a still deeper conflict of human nature. The plays like Rattaran, Elova Gihin Melova Ava (1954) Kada Valalu (1958) and Lomahansa (1985) belong to this class of stylized drama.

Maname and Sinhabahu had left a lasting impression in the mind of the theatre goers and greatly influenced the younger producer such as Gunasena Galappatti and Dayananda Gunawarden.

Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra, the awakener of the love of Sinhalese drama, the inspiring novelist and the first class critic whose towering personality overshadowed the entire field of art and literature breathed his last on the 16^th of August, 1996.