Broken Leg Theatre’s ‘Gruesome Playground Injuries’ this weekend

Scars, scrapes and bruises are a part of life as we scramble along into adulthood. As innocuous as these painful encounters seem through the retrospective lens of adulthood, the consequences of our accumulated scars take center stage in the American playwright Rajiv Joseph’s 2009 Off Broadway play ‘Gruesome Playground Injuries’.

The Broken Leg Theatre Company presents their production of the Pulitzer Prize Winning author’s play, directed by Lihan Mendis, on 12, 13 and 14 October at the Punchi Theatre.

Contrary to what the title of the play suggests, it is not an on-stage blood and gore fest. It straddles the line between ‘dark comedy’ and ‘drama’.  The play weaves through multiple layers and sifts through fragments of a 30-year relationship between the two protagonists, Kayleen and Doug. 

Throughout the play the couple encounter each other in rather bizarre circumstances that give rise to painful emotional experiences. The pain appears to be compounded by the dysfunctional manner in which the duo negotiates between wounds that are deep seated and those that are superficial. The latter which often distract from the former.It is an exploration of the human penchant to bond over shared pain and at the same time how the fear of pain can drive them away from each other, and, more importantly prevent them from facing the truth about themselves. 

Shanaka Amarasinghe plays the role of Doug. The play also sees the return of Imani Perera to the stage after she played Maria in the ‘Sound of Music’. 

The play itself calls for the sort of intimate venue that the Punchi Theatre is. The creative use of props against a minimal set, together with the expert light design of Ryan Holsinger, promises that the production will be well-thought-out and executed.

The play runs for 80 minutes without an intermission and has been approved for adult audiences. Tickets are available at the Punchi Theatre box office and on Takas.lk and is brought to you through the generosity of the Thotalagala Bungalow and Drive One Ltd.