Power of Play to showcase traditional puppetry

Power of Play will present ‘Re-Capturing Premin’ at the Colombo Dance Platform 2012, sponsored by The Goethe Institut of Colombo. The group is proud to collaborate with maestro Premin Ganvari – one of the oldest surviving traditional puppeteers from Ambalangoda – to present his performance of string puppets through a unique lens that examines the value of such traditions and artisans in our present-day lives.

’Re-Capturing Premin’ is a glimpse of one of Sri Lanka’s greatest traditional puppeteers – his inspirations, performances, ambitions and frustrations, viewed through the lens of his body in each of his puppet or ritualistic performances.  This piece is inspired by a rare collaboration between traditional Sri Lankan string puppets and Indonesian rod puppets (wayang goleks) for the Jaffna Music Festival 2011. This unforgettable experience enabled contemporary puppeteers to travel, perform, learn and laugh with traditional maestros and understand how to appreciate the history and resilience of one of our oldest performance traditions that intertwine the world of story-telling, music and dance in to one seamless art.

It will be held on 7 November 2012 at the Punchi Theatre, Borella from 7.30 p.m. onwards. Tickets are priced at Rs. 1,000, 500 and 300 (balcony).