Youth Drama Festival: Opening day brings laughter and disdain

A large number of people attend first day of a 10-day theatre festival.

ISLAMABAD: A large number of people attended the first day of a 10-day theatre festival on Saturday. The festival, organised by Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) features short plays written and directed by the attendees of theatre workshops organised by PNCA.

Displaying various acting and direction techniques, the three plays, “Matti kay Putlay”, “Maan ki Aas” and “Operation in Theatre”, were well executed with minimalistic sets and a strong focus on acting. The 15-minute plays kept the audience entertained with their focused action on stage.

“Matti kay Putlay” used a technique popularly known as Tableau Vivan, a French term that translates to “living picture”. Tableau Vivan features actors executing a scene by keeping their bodies held in a position to make a statement. When executed properly, the images can be very powerful.

Sooraj Khan, writer, director and one of the actors in “Matti Kay Putlay”, employed this particular form in his play. Taking the audience on a poetic journey of the massacre of love in society and different perceptions of what love means to people, the audience enjoyed the depth and creativity presented.

On the other hand, “Maan ki Aas”, a slapstick comedy, used the presentational style of acting, similar to Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”. Theoretically, over-the-top gestures and acting can only be applied in the presentational style of acting. In “Maan ki Aas”, the slapstick humour was well-directed and precisely executed. The overt humour caused roars of laughter, at not only the action but also the storyline, which remained very simple and true to its form.

Even though the plays were performed well, the ambiance of the evening was stained because of some audience members’ misdemeanour. Not only did these rowdy college boys talk among themselves throughout the performances, they continued to make snide comments and gestures that were not appropriate for a family-friendly setting.

The PNCA guards were unable to control the hooligans’ misbehaviour. It was disappointing to see educated people act like cavemen. It is people like these who not only destroy an evening for others but also keep decent families from attending such festivals.

Were it not for this band of ruffians, the high-quality productions showcased at the first day of the festival would have made for a memorable night.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2011.