THEATRE REVIEW: Glengarry Glen Ross [Presented by Identities Inc.]

Hello everyone, so as I mentioned in the last blog post, here's me with a new wave of writing starting by putting forth my review on an amateur production of "Glengarry Glen Ross" an award winning dark comedy written by David Mamet; presented as the debut production of Colombo's newest theatre group -Identities Inc. 

Now, before I get down to it; I'd like you to do yourself a favour and check out this incredible trailer. Also, if you'd like to skip the foreplay and jump to the review of the production itself , then feel free to ignore the giant chunk of text below and read the second one instead. 

Impressed? Yes? Alright, now let me begin. 

When Identities Inc. first announced their upcoming production, they had a multitude of factors that worked in their favour and put them way ahead on the ladder than any other emerging theatre company in Colombo. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they cheated or they took the easy way up; I'm just saying that these guys were incredibly smart and knew how to play their cards-just-right! The first thing that got everyone's attention (or at least the theatre community's) was the announcement of the all-male stellar cast, that was never before seen together on such a condensed and intense production. With names such as Dominic Kellar, Dino Corera  and Andre Perera; anyone who'd had a taste of english theatre in Colombo would have had at least the slightest inclination to go check this out. Next up was that absolutely;for the lack of a better word; "bad-ass" trailer that was released as promotional material for the play. Do correct me if I'm wrong, but this is probably the first theatre production that actually went the extra mile to make a fully fledged theatrical trailer for their production, -and that- was definitely marketing done right. And finally as far as I'm concerned, was the selection of the play itself- GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, David Mamet's masterpiece that revolves around the dog eat dog world of the real estate business and closing sales. If you could recall, like most other theatre productions, this found it's way onto the big screen as well back in 1992 with a stellar cast just the same. And when I mean stellar, I mean STELLAR. We're talking about Alec Baldwin, Al Pacino and Kevin Spacey in one movie! A simple Youtube search for the movie trailer should help you understand what's got me so excited about it. However, throughout the years of watching theatre and being a part of it, one of the things I learnt is that you can never compare stage productions with a movie being as their both just as entertaining (more or less) in their own separate ways. 

Now let's steer back to the review. I had the pleasure of getting my desired tickets for the second night's show and made my way to the Namel-Malini Punchi Theater in Borella; which was also another intriguing factor, being as most of the productions usually take place at the Lionel Wendt. If you read the paragraph above, you'd understand why I had fairly big expectations for this play, but I did do my best to tone it down a bit. It's a little common for new theatre companies in Colombo to struggle a little with their first production because no one really expects a full house. These guys, however, blew that right out the window by going on for four nights plus a matinee and nearly selling out for all the shows- which is pretty damn impressive! I'd like to take a moment to point out that this production is also the debut directorial performance of Gehan Blok; a splendid actor and voice artist himself; who for the first time steps out of the limelight and plays his hand at directing instead.

While waiting for the show to begin, I had a nice long look at the set which was simple enough. An office setting, with stuffy cabinets and three desks. What I did admire though were those nitty gritty details that they had gotten spot on. From the standard office chairs of the time- complete with their little tears, stationery on the desks, rusty cabinets, worn out brief cases and even the typewriter on one table. And then it blacked out. 

The story cut to the chase and more or less dived into the intense confrontation with Blake (played by Hans BilliMoria), a supervising officer come to rain hell upon the weak sales that generated from this office, threatening the agents there with their jobs if they didn't close more deals. Now this is the first significant role that comes into the story and sets the ball rolling for the rest of the show, but Hans's take on the character just didn't seem to fit right. I'm not questioning his abilities as an actor, I just wasn't convinced if this was the right role for him. Nevertheless he did manage to pull it off decently, give or take a few slip ups of persona and accent. 
Then came along Dino Corera with a rather convincing performance of John Williamson. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting more from him- knowing and having seen him carry out exceptional performances in multiple plays.
And then came along Dominic Kellar. If there was ever a time an actor stole the show by truly embracing his role, this was surely it. With an absolutely marvelous performance as Shelley 'the machine' Levene, he portrayed the character with absolute perfection. From the snarky remarks, to the pitiful pleas of desperation, that performance set the bar for the rest. 
Shanaka Amarasinghe took on the sly role of Dave Moss and as it seemed to me, began to execute it quite well. It was one of the more intriguing roles of the show and one that definitely kept you on edge. Unfortunately though, towards the latter part, it felt like he was losing track of his character's multiple intentions and emotions, but props to him though for reeling it right back in. 
One of the more low key characters was George Aaronow played by Andre Perera. Now I've seen Andre do a few spectacular performances before and was naturally expecting the same. And he did deliver- just not as much as I expected. Commendable takes on humour though, and he had a satisfactory adaptation of the character, but for some reason it just felt that he could have done a little more with the role to make his presence a little more- felt.
Now last but not least, we have Rajiv Ponweera playing Richard 'Ricky' Roma. Ladies and gentlemen, I would undoubtedly say that this man deserves a standing ovation. Alongside Dominc Kellar as Levene, Rajiv's portrayal of Roma was absolutely brilliant!  With every moment that I watched, I couldn't help but see his character build up to a rendition of Al Pacino who played that very same role in the movie. Kudos to him for that spectacular performance, and getting every tiny detail right on target- from the way he carried himself, the way he spoke and how far he was willing to truly give in to his character.

Regretfully though, the one downside I saw to the whole production was that the level of attention given to the casting of the leads was not conveyed in the casting of the extras; namely the roles of Baylen the Detective, and Lingk- Roma's unwary sales target. Miranga Ariyaratne didn't quite seem to have the assertiveness that an interrogating detective should ideally have and in all honesty came forth as a reality check every time he took stage; primarily due to the fact that his accent or vocal action didn't quite seem to gel with the rest of the cast. Same goes for Niren Neydorff with his portrayal of Lingk, which just did not seem to hit the spot. His performance stood out and not exactly in a positive manner, but however saying so- I have to mention that he did have a few key moments which I thought was done rather well. 

Wrapping this up, I'd like to commend Gehan Blok on a rather impressive and exceptionally entertaining production. It was refreshing to see a new take in theatre direction and safe to say that I would eagerly be awaiting for his next one. With all things considered, this being his debut production and justifiably complex to pull of (not to mention the added pressure of it being an award winning script), this production of Glengarry Glen Ross was thoroughly entertaining with it's dark humour and intense story line, thereby undoubtedly making Identities Inc. a theatre company to keep an eye on. 

My rating on the overall production- 7.0 /10

And remember- ALWAYS . BE . CLOSING!

Till next time then.

With New Horizons To Pursue

There's only so much of it I can take. If only I had a dollar for every time I heard that ( in more ways than one). Now before you start wondering what relevance any of that has with all this, let me get right to it. 

Those of you who actually know me ( i'm talking about going beyond just being Facebook BFF's), would be aware of the fact that I don't make it an obligation to write something (apart from work related scribbles of course). I don't set deadlines to put up a blog post, I don't make sure I have something to say about every shenanigan that goes on in the world, heck if not for the few of you who talked me into it, I'd have hardly made an effort to start up this blog. I'm more of a conventional pen and paper guy; give or take the occasional Facebook note. I only write when ; as cliche as it sounds ; creative inspiration hits me smack on the head! And it's poetic, literally! No, really...for some reason, most of the time I put my thoughts down on paper, it usually takes the form of a well rhymed (if I do say so myself) poem! 

Well that's all going to change now. Considering what a fast paced world we live in, our fragile minds are vulnerable to be influenced by numerous external entities; by that what I mean to say is; there's really not enough time in the day to sit down, let go, and write like you really mean it. Pencils need to be sharpened to make a strong impression on paper; otherwise letting it go blunt is only going to make what you write- a little blurry. 

So here's me taking to the sharpener. 

If all goes well and I actually manage to stick to this, then what you can expect in the months that will henceforth follow would be .....well I haven't really decided on that per-say, but it would more or less include reviews on theatrical plays, events/venues, random views and of course, the occasional poem written to my heart's content. 

And on that note I shall bid adieu, and yes If you've managed to notice by now, the title does hail from Alladin. I thought I'd do it justice, what with the revamping of the blog and what not. 

Till next time. 

"...words will prevail..."

Together Apart [2014]

Let me hold your hand
Like you held mine
Let me point out the stars
You said would shine

Let me tell you stories
Like you've told me
Let me close my eyes
And count to three

We've got one life
Maybe that's all we need
The now is plenty
Without the greed
We've grown together
Yet we've grown apart
Appearances will wither
But we'll stay young at heart

The clock ticks on
But we've got time
So let me hold your hand
Like you held mine.

The Resistance [2013]

Decades went by,
Then centuries at most,
They ripped off my face,
And tied me to a post,
They paraded the streets,
They rejoiced my defeat,
Celebrations of survival,
Of a duty complete.


Time took its toll,
They hide behind my face,
Traditions were changed,
My stories were twisted,
My efforts were famed,
My struggle was divided,
Some took on the weight,
To march forward with resistance,
Against the self-proclaimed greats.


When they’re not the disgrace,
They struggle for the majority,
From those who abuse authority,
The times may have changed,
But the motives they linger,
It began on the 5th of November,
So Remember, Remember

Christmas- to want; more than you need.

Pardon me for delaying another blog post; i'm still getting used to all this- call me technologically backward if you must- but I'd take a pen and paper over this any day.

If it isn't evident already in the multiple radio commercials, T.V spots, decorations and stampede drawing sales,- the month of Christmas has dawned upon us once again. And like every year, despite cast, creed or religion-everyone's basking in the spirit of the season; the parties, food and mega sales in particular! Let's face it, there's more people huddled up in a Black Friday sale than at any Church, Mosque or Temple. Now I'm not saying that's entirely a bad thing- hey, I'm even guilty of a few impulsive purchases myself. The point that I'm trying to make however is that, -is this what Christmas is all about to us? An excuse to go splurge and shop to our heart's content? No one's to blame here really.

Companies and brands all over the world march forward; equipped with the highly strategic skills of advertising agencies; with one do or die mission of shaping the mindsets of the wider public to want what they never essentially need. And as the unsuspecting people we are, we've got no choice but to fall unwittingly to their efforts. You can declare all you want that you could never be wooed by any brand as such, but trust me- unless you've sought out to reside in a forest or rather under a rock- you are always influenced in some way or the other by the brands that surround you in today's world. You just don't know it.

When a time of year like this kicks in, saving even Rs.50 might sound like a great deal, because you never know when that 50 is going to come in handy at the next big sale right?

Now let me tell you about a personal observation. I pass this neat little bakery on my way to work everyday, and every morning I see vehicles of various calibers pull over there to grab a quick breakfast on the go. They're in, they buy, they're out. But, a very few actually spare a second to notice this young woman, covered in dirt, carrying a little girl who could be no more than 3 years old; staring blankly through the glass. Watching as people walk in and out, watching as people leave leftovers that are soon swiftly swept away in to the bin; leftovers that could easily have been her meal for the entire day. So busy are the people however, that no one seems to quite notice. Why? -because work starts at 9am and they have to get there in time, there's hardly a second to spare on the way there! - well at least that's what you'd usually hear when you ask someone the question point blank. Nevertheless, no matter how fast they might rush through picking up their breakfast; for most of them; there's always a moment to spare to tear off a lottery ticket from the little booth next door. Why?- because we always want more than we actually need-more than what some people usually are fortunate to have. Like I said before, it's nobody's fault really.

We're guided down a path set with a daily routine that makes out our own survival; so yes, I guess it's easy to loose track of things outside your main focal area; but while you're celebrating the benefits and prosperity of this joyous time of the year,the highly praised season of giving; just maybe take a minute to see what it feels like to actually -give.


“Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give.”
― Ben Carson

Circus Freak [Poem] (2013)

Take a ticket he said,

Why don’t you come on in,

Leave the world outside,

And choose where you’d want to begin,

There’s nobody here that won’t let you try,

Give in to the ride,

Just don’t ask why.

Let me take you far,

Let me take you wide,

They said your dreams were wrong,

But I can make them feel right,

They fed you hopes of dreams,

That would come true,

But when your tokens are done,

There’d be no one to rescue you.

They say he made the world in just one week,

So maybe things got tough,

And he needed sleep,

You are who you are,

That’s how he made you see,

But never did he tell you what not to be,

So he fit you in after one whole week,

But you were made different,

You’re a circus freak.

Book Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Indulging in the simple life of a shepherd set to make it on his own, Santiago; or more so referred to as just ‘the boy’; used to make ends meet by selling the fleece of his sheep. Despite this being sufficient for his needs, his cravings to venture out into the world burned a bright flame in his heart. His fate however changes forever with the unexpected encounter of an old god/king (the fabled King of Salem, Melchizedek) who promises him the location of supposed hidden treasure in exchange for one tenth of the flock of his sheep.  Going with instinct and letting the omens guide him, Coelho takes us through the eyes of the boy on a spiritual journey that overwhelms the reader with the turn of every page. The boy encounters individuals, who leave stone footprints in his life, guiding lights on a breathtaking journey posed as a king, a gypsy, an Englishman, and an alchemist; all of whom ultimately bring him to realize that the real treasure; the very reason he ventured out from Spain and onto the Pyramids in the midst of the Sahara desert; was found within the journey itself.
A strong story portrayed by an omniscient narrator, lets the reader reminiscent off fairy tales, enhancing the spiritual essence of this not so blatant tale. Starting off as a fable about a shepherd boy named Santiago from the Andalusia area of Southern Spain; Paulo Coelho gives flight to the wings of excitement and adventure; spinning this tale into something far beyond the creative and soulful capacity of mere men, filled with enlightening and profound truths.