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Wednesday Sep 25, 2024
Thursday, 27 November 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
that showed me the impact puppets had on adult audiences. In Indonesia puppets address adults issues – relationships, work life, health issues, unity in diversity – puppets speak of those things, that as humans we have a hard time speaking about, and they really hit home, and you hear all these messages through a medium that was familiar as a child… it’s like an old friend has returned.
Q: What is it about puppets? Why do they have such universal appeal?
A: I always say that a good story has no age limit. Neither does the power of fascination. At our monthly family story tellings, I often look into the audience and see that the adults are having as good a time as the children.
It’s also impossible to be angry with a puppet. Human performers can give rise to so many preconceived notions and restrictions and perceptions, but puppets simply reach out to the child in all of us and we are open and receptive to them, and what they have to say.
Q: Explain the nature of your corporate training. How is it different from other such training?
A: What Power of Play does is bring theatre into the office. As Shakespeare said, ‘All the world’s a stage,’ and that being the case, we are indeed all just players. Learning how to perform 
our different roles in our work lives can happen effectively in the same way that actors learn to perform theirs on stage and screen.
We bring actor training techniques into our workshops where the entire workshop is very mentally stimulating and physically engaging and you learn through doing. The exercises we do are all based on improvisation, acting, storytelling, puppetry, music and movement, and creative writing.
We touch upon how to work as a team, how to maximise your own and others potential, how to develop analytical thinking skills, problem solve in an efficient manner and also how to release your creativity when needed. Participants are also trained in how to convey a message in an unforgettable manner, so that innovative communication skills are developed.
Our training is also different because we focus more on the practical rather than the theory, so there is minimum use of hand outs or presentations. There is no passive learning. This model gives us the freedom to create programs that are customised and needs based so that we offer something that really caters to, and meets our clients’ requirements.
Q: How do you use puppets for brand/corporate events?
A: We have everything from finger puppets to giant puppets as tall as a tree! So what we use and how we use them depends largely on the nature of the event at which we are performing. For example if the event is based on education or awareness building, we use rod or soft puppets. All our performances are customised and based on the message our clients wish to convey. We are very particular about product endorsements though, and will only do them if we feel that they reflect our Sri Lankan cultural values.
While our live performances are the most popular, we have also started working in film; writing, directing and performing with puppets on various topics. This is a particularly useful tool for companies that need to take the same message to many people in different places.
Q: You are the only company in Sri Lanka to have contemporary giant puppets?
A: Yes, our giant puppets can be branded and can be considered walking talking interactive billboards. At 12-14 feet high they are breathtaking and fascinating for children and adults alike. They are versatile and can offer lots of options depending on the nature of the event at which they appear. Customisation is also possible, so we can make a giant puppet for a particular brand or event.
Q: What has been your favourite, or most successful project for adult audiences, and why?
A: The HIV Aids Awareness campaign sponsored by the AIDS Foundation Lanka and Zonta Club II Colombo with technical assistance from ILO (AIDS Week 2011), where we performed in over 10 locations and which targeted all levels of management and employees across sectors in Sri Lanka, is a great personal favourite.
That was our first major tour performance and the impact it had across the diverse audiences to whom it catered was validation of the relevance of puppets for adult audiences in Sri Lanka. That was such an incredible experience. Even though we have gone on to do many more such projects that first one will always be a highlight because it was the proof we needed, a confirmation that we were indeed on exactly the right track.
Another highlight I would like to mention is the ‘Demons of Development’ project for the Centre for Poverty Analysis for their Development Symposium in 2012. We adapted the traditional ‘thovil’ performance to highlight the complexities of development. There is immense value when you adapt a traditional performance for contemporary audiences. Traditional performances speak to us on a visceral level, they are in our blood. You may not have heard of or seen such a performance before, but the moment you do, there is recognition. Your gut response is ignited.
In the same way making the traditional contemporary is a challenge. You need to present the audience with something they are very familiar with, but do it in an unusual way. Our giant puppet Raja the elephant is one such example, he is a life-sized, animated elephant who is lit from within. He’s a mix of puppet and Vesak lantern. He stops traffic, literally, because people find him familiar and yet incredibly different.
Fascination comes from seeing something you recognise but in a form you have never seen before. Thinking of situations from a completely new perspective is the challenge at the core of our business at Power of Play, because everything depends on your perspective.
Q: What is PoP’s vision for this ‘adult’ market?
A: We aim to innovate communication via live art mediums. There are several reasons why live art has survived over centuries despite the introduction of digital media and art, and the key reason lies in the incomparable impact that professional live performances can make on an audience. That live experience – where the impact is immediate and unique – cannot be recreated in any other medium.
Traditionally, Sri Lanka is rich in live performances – they are a huge part of our cultural heritage. However, due to lots of reasons that part of our culture has disappeared from city based lives. Power of Play wants to remind audiences about the power of such performances and how they are still very relevant to our lives today.
To find out more about Power of Play’s work with children, youth and adults, please visit www.facebook.com/powerinfoplay or email [email protected].
