Stages Theatre Group
Ruwanthie de Chickera (Artistic Director)
Ruwanthie de Chickera is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, theater director, actor trainer, and cultural activist. She is the founder and artistic director of Stages Theatre Group. She has written and directed over 30 original plays and two screen plays. The first play she wrote, at the age of 19, won her international recognition and pivoted her into Sri Lankan theater. Her first film, Machan, is recognized as a watershed moment in Sri Lankan cinema, having won several international and local awards and was screened in over 50 countries.
Akalanka Prabashwara (Performer)
Akalanka is a multiple award-winning Sri Lankan actor working across theater, television, and film. He is also the ensemble leader of Stages Theatre Group. He has performed in numerous Stages productions over the years, both locally and internationally, including Dear Children Sincerely: 7 Decades of Sri Lanka, DCS Rwanda-Sri Lanka Collaboration, and Patterns of Our Genocides. Outside of Stages, he has worked across a wide range of productions as both performer and choreographer. Akalanka sees art as a way of living—an ongoing act of sharing feeling, thought, and experience. His passion for art is rooted in both the informal education he’s received through his craft and the remarkable individuals he’s encountered along his artistic journey.
Bhanu Ekanayake (Performer)
Bhanu Ekanayake is a Sri Lankan theater, film, and television actor, and a member of the Stages Theatre Group ensemble. With Stages, he has performed in a range of original productions both locally and internationally, including Dear Children Sincerely: 7 Decades of Sri Lanka, Ken B Eniwan’s Story, Awa Kawa Giya, and Patterns of Our Genocides. Beyond the stage, Bhanu continues to expand his craft through work in both film and television. For him, each new role is a journey, and every performance an achievement. He believes in art as a space for healing, for both the artist and the audience.
Duminda Perera (Performer)
Duminda is a Sri Lankan theater, television, and film actor, and a long-standing member of the Stages Theatre Group ensemble. He has been part of many Stages productions over the years, both locally and internationally, including Dear Children Sincerely: 7 Decades of Sri Lanka, Thought Curfew, and Patterns of Our Genocides. He has received numerous local theater awards, including Best Actor at the State Drama Festival (2019), recognising his work not only as an actor, but also as a choreographer, designer, and stage manager. Duminda sees art as his space in the world—a place he inhabits fully, both as a performer and collaborator.
Lakranga Hevavitharanage (Performer)
Lakranga is a Sri Lankan theater, television, and film actor, and a member of the Stages Theatre Group ensemble. With Stages, he has performed in Dear Children Sincerely: 7 Decades of Sri Lanka, Awa Kawa Giya, and Patterns of Our Genocides. A graduate of the University of Visual and Performing Arts with a degree in Acting, Lakranga’s passion for storytelling began in childhood, when films sparked his imagination and gave him the freedom to become anyone he dreamed of. Through acting, he explores the lives of others—seeing each role as a new perspective and a way to better understand the human experience.
Nipuni Sharada (Performer)
Nipuni Sharada Pathirage is an award-winning performer working across theater, cinema, digital media, and television, with a strong focus on theater both locally and internationally. She holds a first-class Bachelor’s degree in Acting from the University of the Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo. She has experience working with international theater companies and has performed at several international theater festivals. She has worked as a lecturer, voice artist, and vocalist, and is currently a company artist, researcher, translator, co-leader of the Stages Ensemble, and leader of the Stages Junior Ensemble at Stages Theatre Group. Sharada believes that art is essential in building society and has chosen to be a full-time artist, embracing her role beyond entertainment. She is deeply engaged in researching her own artistic practice, with a focus on exploring the impact of art on individuals, communities, and society as a whole.
Sanjeewa Upendra (Performer)
Sanjeewa Upendra is a veteran Sri Lankan theater artist with a career spanning over three decades as a director, writer, actor, and designer. He has directed a range of original productions, including Kanthoruwa Kanthoruwa, Saakkikaari, and Freedom, and performed in works such as Dear Children Sincerely: 7 Decades of Sri Lanka, DCS Rwanda-Sri Lanka Collaboration, Thought Curfew, and Lee Havi Oswald. Beyond acting and directing, Sanjeewa has contributed extensively to theater as a playwright, stage manager, set, light, and sound designer. His talent has been recognized with multiple state and youth festival awards for directing, writing, and acting. For Sanjeewa, art is a powerful means of expanding public consciousness. He believes that artists hold the potential to guide society toward a better, more compassionate future.
Sudeera Chinthaka (Performer)
Sudeera is a Sri Lankan actor and a member of the Stages Theatre Group ensemble. With Stages, he has performed in productions such as Dear Children Sincerely: 7 Decades of Sri Lanka, Awa Kawa Giya, and Patterns of Our Genocides, while also contributing backstage as part of the stage crew for PING!. Outside of Stages, Sudeera has also worked in technical theater, most notably as stage manager for Jungle, a production that earned him the Best Stage Manager award at the State Drama Festival in 2022. For Sudeera, theater isn’t just a craft—it’s a way of understanding humanity and engaging with the world.
Samuel Sundaralingam (Production Manager)
Samuel Sundaralingam is a Sri Lankan writer, actor, director, producer at Stages Theatre Group, leader of its youth ensemble, and a member of the Stages ensemble. He has contributed to various Stages productions in multiple roles, including PING! (Writer, Actor), Dear Children Sincerely: 7 Decades of Sri Lanka (Actor), Patterns of Our Genocides (Production Manager), and The Children of the Little Olive Park (Production Manager). Most recently, he wrote and directed What a Wonderful Day, which was staged at the Asian Youth Theatre Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand. As a writer, Samuel is drawn to art that serves as a tool for catharsis and knowledge-sharing—work that helps navigate life’s complexities with clarity and simplicity. He is also a part-time marketing student and a full-time marketing executive.
Mashirika Performing Arts and Media Company
Abdoul Mujyambere (Performer)
Abdoul is a multidisciplinary artist based in Kigali, working across dance, fashion, film, and photography. His work explores themes of identity, beauty, and the body, often blending movement with visual storytelling. A graduate of École des Sables in Senegal, Abdoul has created and performed in works such as Kigali Utopia, Rebirth, and Kigali on the Horizon. He is a recipient of the Prince Claus Seed Award and has represented Rwanda in numerous international residencies and festivals.
Claudia Shimwa (Performer)
Claudia is a Rwandan theater artist, actress, poet, and yoga instructor. Trained in Drama and Education, she has been performing for over a decade in English, French, Kinyarwanda, and Kiswahili. Her work spans storytelling, physical theater, and street theater, often exploring themes of memory, silence, and ecology. In addition to her performance work, Claudia is an emerging writer—her first poetic monologue was shortlisted for the RFI Théâtre Prize in 2023, and her second text was presented as part of the 30th commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. She is currently developing her third poetic work.
Fred Kayigi (Performer)
Andy Bumuntu (Fred Kayigi) is a Rwandan performer, recording artist, actor, and theater-maker. Since 2014, he has released over 20 songs and performed with artists like Alpha Blondy and Boyz II Men. Equally rooted in performance and storytelling, Andy has collaborated with theater groups such as Mashirika and Stages Theatre Group. A regular voice on Kiss FM’s Breakfast Show, Andy is also the founder of GABA #BeBETTER, a youth wellness platform, and a UNICEF Advocacy Champion committed to empowering young people through art, health, and storytelling.
Innocent Munyeshuri (Performer)
Innocent is a Rwandan theater and film artist with over a decade of experience in performance, production, and event management. He works across disciplines as a director, producer, 1st assistant director, casting director, fixer, and project manager. In Rwanda, he has collaborated with leading arts organizations including Ishyo Arts Centre, Mashirika Performing Arts and Media Company, and Iyugi, and has contributed to major national events such as the Ubumuntu Arts Festival, Rwanda’s National Liberation Day celebrations, Kwita Izina (The Gorilla Naming Ceremony), and the Move Africa concert featuring Kendrick Lamar. Innocent has also worked on numerous international film projects, and was a producer on the African Academy Award-winning Fight Like a Girl.
Laly Sangano (Performer)
Laly is a Burundian actress, writer, director, and theater-maker based in Bujumbura. With a background in Modern Literature and Clinical Psychology, she works across multiple disciplines—including theater production and psychodrama—exploring the intersection of art and healing. Since 2017, she has performed in and created original works, and currently leads her own company, Compagnie Ouf. Deeply committed to creative empowerment, Laly uses her practice to support others in discovering their artistic voice and nurturing their personal growth.
