Dhananjaya Karunarathne is a published playwright, director, designer who works in Sri Lanka and Australia as an independent artist.
From his early childhood Dhananjaya showed an interest in both painting and theatre, however after participating in a number of different theatre workshops he found his desire to work in theatre began to predominate.
While conducting youth-oriented theatre workshops across Sri Lanka he began to experiment with different types of teaching as well as theatrical techniques. These workshop experiences, combined with observations of the audiences watching his early plays, led him to start exploring the actor-spectator relationship, and he began to develop the radical concept he describes as
'Theatre Against the Audience'.
Dhananjaya’s first play, “The Jury” (1993) was a full-length work, however since that time he has chosen to concentrate on one-act plays as he searches for a more provocative and sensitive style of theatre.
His works continue to be produced in Sri Lanka, with support coming from Ms Sunethra Bandaranaike (Sunera Foundation).
His most recent forays into theatre have been located in the Australian city of Wollongong, where he has been studying at the University of Wollongong and producing plays in conjunction with the Merrigong Theatre Company based at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre . Some of Dhananjaya’s scripts have been translated (and discussed in forums) as part of the company’s Theatre Development Program. Most recently, he produced his play, ‘The Story of the Last Bus’ as a double bill with Edward Albee’s ‘Zoo Story’, as part of the Merrigong Theatre Independent Producers’ Program
Currently Dhananjaya is undertaking a post graduate research course at the University of Wollongong to explore his concept of Theatre Against the Audience.
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