"The Crucified Great Dramatist" the biography of ''Botalesse'' K. Lawrence Perera (Lawrence Master) who animated the Easter theater in Sri Lanka using live actors and actresses, will be performed today (23) at ''Sridhara House'' in Boralasse. Written by Sheila Lorenzi Perera, daughter of Laurence Master, this book is being released today to celebrate 101 years of Easter plays at Borlase.
Born in 1890, Lawrence Perera went to Britain to study law in 1907, where he studied European theater and music, including Shakespeare. After traveling to many European countries, he came to Sri Lanka and introduced a new Easter tradition using live actors by modernizing the ''Statue Easter art'' in Sri Lanka.
In 1923, he performed his Easter drama, in which a live man was crucified, adding new security to the Sri Lankan Easter drama tradition. Having studied other theater traditions of the world and built a unique theater tradition for himself, in 1939 he further modernized Easter plays and used actresses for female roles.
But in 1939, the Catholic Church and the Bishop banned Easter plays in Boralasse. Its author, Sheila Lorenzi Perera, told thecolombopost that this book exposes all related issues about banned that have not been removed even today.
Jude Wijayatunga from Wennappuwa.