Citing profanity: Audience left ‘stumped’ as man demands end to play

Man started teasing a girl to gain her attention, leading to her walking out.

KARACHI:

National Academy of Performing Art’s latest play about cricket, politics and conspiracies, ‘STUMPED!!!’ was under way when a personal matter with a girl turned into an ego issue. The person involved forced organisers to call off the play halfway through.

Eyewitnesses said the man tried to gain the girl’s attention by teasing her, forcing her to walk out. The man walked right after her followed by a group of twenty-odd people.

But the matter remained unresolved. He walked into the auditorium enraged and started shouting about the profane content of the play and forced an abrupt end.

This was one of the corporate nights of ‘STUMPED!!!’ where the whole show was booked for one of the sponsors, TPL Tracker Limited, and sources said the person who misbehaved also belonged to the same organisation.

Imran Yusuf, the writer of the play who was present in the auditorium at the time of the incident said that if a person is offended by the content, he or she could leave at the interval.

“I defend my work, I defend these outstanding actors and above all I defend the theatre,” “Yousuf told The Express Tribune.

“But I say this knowing the incident was not censorship by sabotage. It was thuggish behaviour from a bully.

Director Zain Ahmed, who is also the artistic director of NAPA, said families with children were told at the gate before entering that the play was meant for adults only.

“We will continue to do the challenging plays that we have been doing because that is our job. Our play will carry on and will complete the remaining nights.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2013.