Sarachchandra Open-Air Theatre ( si, සරච්චන්ද්ර එළිමහන් රංග පීඨය) is a theatre located in the
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්යාලය, ta, பேராதனைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University ...
, about one kilometre from the
Galaha junction in Galaha-Peradeniya road. It is popularly known as the ''Wala'', among university students and the drama enthusiasts. Theatre is named in memory of
Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra
Dr. Veditantirige Eustace Reginold de Silva (later became Veditantirige Ediriweera Ranjitha Sarachchandra) (3 June 1914 – 16 August 1996; Sinhala: මහාචාර්ය එදිරිවීර සරච්චන්ද්ර), popularly ...
, a notaable Sri Lankan playwright. Built in the early 1950s, it is considered to be the only
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
of its kind in
Sri Lanka and was constructed according to the architectural style of
ancient Greek theatres
The performance space is a simple semi-circular one in the middle, called the orchestra. Spectators sit in the stone steps created at a slope of which produced a natural theatron, literally "watching place". It can accommodate a very large number of people.
Acoustics play a vital role in its construction, with the spectators in the extreme back row clearly hearing the sounds from the orchestra. Most of the dramas shown in the
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්යාලය, ta, பேராதனைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University ...
use Sarachchandra open-air theatre as their venue. Sarachchandra’s Sinhala play, ''Maname'' was first presented at this theatre.
Celebrating Creativity: Applause at the Wendt
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See also
* University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්යාලය, ta, பேராதனைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University ...
* Theatre of ancient Greece
Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...
References
{{coord missing, Sri Lanka
University of Peradeniya
Theatres in Kandy District