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It would take until the 1950s for serious
Sinhala dramas to develop. With the independence of Ceylon from Great Britain and a widespread appreciation of Sinhala culture, Ediriweera Sarachchandra led the movement for serious Sinhala theatre. Sarachchandra's work, which brought together elements of the
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religions. Originating from masked dances that took on the roles of gods and demons in ritualistic practices, the theatre tradition gradually became free of religion and crystallised into an organized form of entertainment.
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and folk dramas in the 19th century. Until that period, the art was confined to small villages and didn't have a national presence. Influential dramatist
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early folk ritual and dance drama tradition with
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combine live theatre and art exhibition, with exhibition galleries and theatres.
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An audience watches a performance at the Nelum Pokuna
Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre
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Dramas in Sri Lanka began first with ritualistic performances of early
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took a connotation of something ridiculous or nonsense in
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juntcion not open to outside visitors only university students
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encompasses many different languages and traditions.
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