The Man on a Black Horse brings absurdist fiction to Karachi

Script inspired by Rumi revolves around soldiers on a journey of self-discovery.

KARACHI:

The co-writers and directors of the play The Man on a Black Horse, Rouvan Mahmud and Ali Junejo of performing arts company DadaDali, must have thought a million times before picking out Persian poet Jalaluddin Rumi’s writings and combining it with the likes of poets Ferdowsi and Gaiczynski and socialist Erich Fromm.

The story of the play, which is being performed at The Second Floor Café (T2F), surrounds two soldiers, Rumi (Junejo) and Sal (Mahmud), who are jailed on their return from a battle. These men are in a constant struggle of self-discovery. The play embodies the idea of mortality, as presented by Fromm, that man cannot grip his own mortality. In between, a girl named Liza frequently confronts them with their thoughts on life, love and the search for inspiration. This character has been played by Meher Jaffri, producer of Lamha (Seedlings).

Taking Pakistani theatre onto the next level by depicting the absurdist form of theatre, The Man on a Black Horse shows a viewer the different genres Pakistani artists are capable of experimenting with. However, the content of the play challenges the intellect of the average audience and is not palatable for everyone.

Junejo’s subtlety and Mahmud’s resilience keep one engaged in the performance, but Jaffri’s shrill voice and dramatising is unsettling. The different situations of the play lead to a loud, exciting performance based on tragicomedy, which can only be enjoyed if you are aware of the schools of thought discussed in the play.

So, if you have not read Rumi’s poem Masnavi and other literary references made in the play, then you will walk out thinking that the performances are too energetic, loaded with philosophical ideas, and perhaps will not be able to understand what it is really about. However, if you are able to register the existentialist undertone in the dialogues delivered, then you are in for a treat.

A member of the audience, CEO Labels Zahir Rahimtoola said, “It is a brilliant play, which is put together very well, considering that there was a minimalistic set with very few props.”

Rahimtoola said that he agrees with how the playwrights depict the situation of war. “It was gross — and that’s exactly how wars are. The play sheds light on the realities of how offensive and depraving battles could be.” He added, however, that the play’s target audience is a more mature crowd. “It would definitely appeal to a segment of people who are slightly older or people who are into serious theatre, because the play has a serious subject.”

The play is currently being performed from February 21 to February 26, with a ticket priced at Rs1,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2013.

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