Priyankara Rathnayake (born June 3, 1964 as ) is an
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
in
Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama, and television. He also works as a senior lecturer for the Department of Drama, Cinema, and Television at the
University of Kelaniya
The University of Kelaniya (UoK; , ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. Just outside the municipal limits of Colombo, in the city of Kelaniya, the university has two major institutions and seven faculties.
History
The University of Kelaniy ...
.
Personal life
He started drama career under Somalatha Subasinghe's children and youth theater and state drama school. Then he joined Rajitha Dissanayake's drama troupe.
He entered to
University of Kelaniya
The University of Kelaniya (UoK; , ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. Just outside the municipal limits of Colombo, in the city of Kelaniya, the university has two major institutions and seven faculties.
History
The University of Kelaniy ...
in 1989 and obtained the Bachelor of Arts Special Degree (Honours) in 1992. He completed Master of Arts Degree in Drama and Theatre from
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura (also known as Jayawardhanapura University or USJ; , ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. It is in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the country's administrative capital. It was form ...
in 2005. He is working as a lecturer and visiting lecturer for mass media, drama and theater as well as performing arts in
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya (, ) is a Public research university, public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka, University Grants Commission. It is the largest university in Sri Lanka, which was origin ...
, National School of Drama, Tower Hall Theatre Foundation and Sripalee campus of
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo (informally Colombo University or UoC) is a Public University, public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is the oldest institution of modern higher education in Sri Lanka. Specialised in t ...
.
Acting career
Rathnayake is credited for introducing famous plays by
Sophocles
Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...
to the Sri Lankan theater with the titles ''Oedipus'' and ''Ada Vage Davasaka Antigone''. He also directed
Aristophanes
Aristophanes (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Ancient Greek comedy, comic playwright from Classical Athens, Athens. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. The majority of his surviving play ...
' play ''
Lysistrata
''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', ) is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city ...
'' in 2015 as ''Visekariyo''. In 2016, he directed
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's
A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
with the title ''Premawantha Kumarayo''.
In 2016, a four-day theater festival was held at the Lionel Wendt Theatre in Colombo from June 7 to 10 daily at 7 pm.
Notable works
* ''Ada Vage Davasaka Antigone''
* ''Asinamali''
* ''Bakamuna Weedi Basi''
* ''Oedipus''
* ''Poth Gullee''
* ''Premawantha Kumarayo''
* ''Sihina Horu Aran''
* ''Visekariyo''
Selected television serials
* ''Abhisamaya''
* ''
Ahanna Kenek Na
''Can You Hear Me?'' ('Ahanna Kenek Na': ) is a 2020 Sri Lankan thriller teledrama broadcast on Jathika Rupavahini. The series is directed and written by Sunil Costa. It is produced by Chinthaka Kulathunga and music direction is by award winni ...
''
* ''Charithayaka Paata Denna''
* ''Dhawala Yamaya''
* ''Diya Ginisilu''
* ''Giri Kula''
* ''Kadadora''
* ''Maheshika''
* ''
Manikkawatha''
* ''Sakarma''
* ''Satya''
* ''Sulangata Enna Kiyanna''
* ''Vishwanthari''
Author work
He wrote several books related to drama and media. One of them is ''Natya Vicharaya''.
Filmography
Rathnayake started his film career with ''Thunweni Aha'' back in 1996, directed by Anura Chandrasiri. His most popular cinema acting came through films ''Irasma'', ''Bandhanaya'' and ''Dedunu Akase''.
Awards and accolades
He has won several awards at the local stage drama festivals and television festivals.
Presidential Awards
, -
, , 1999 , , , ''
Dorakada Marawa'' , , Best Screenplay , ,
Sumathi Awards
, -
, , 2001 , , , ''Abhisamaya'' , , Merit Award , ,
Raigam Tele'es
, -
, , 2012 , , , ''Sulangata Enna Kiyanna''
''Kadadora'' , , Merit Award , ,
References
External links
Drama Festival by Priyankara Rathnayakeඅපේ වේදිකාවේ වෘත්තීය නළුවෝ නැහැසම්භාව්ය කෘති තුළ තමයි මිනිසුන්ට විනෝදයත් සමග දැනුවත් කිරීමේ ඥානය ලබා දිය හැකි උපරිම දේවල් තියෙන්නප්රියංකර රත්නායක පුදුමයට පත් කළ මෙරට වේදිකාවේ විශිෂ්ටතම නාට්ය හතමුළු සමාජයමටම අද බරපතල ප්රතිසංස්කරණයක් අවශයයියකැදුරාගේ සිට නාට්යවේදියා දක්වා
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rathnayake, Priyankara
Sri Lankan male film actors
Living people
Sri Lankan male stage actors
1964 births