Youth Festival : An improbable comedy and a message play
Third day ends with NCA’s comedy act and LUMS’ dark tale of sectarian violence.
LAHORE:
Students from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lums) and the National College of Arts (NCA) staged wildly contrasting plays at the third day of the Youth Performing Arts Festival here at the Alhamra Cultural Complex on Friday.
Tune In by Wizzi Productions, an NCA group, was a light physical comedy, while Raks-e-Bismil by Lums was a dark tale of a village wrecked by sectarian violence. Both plays were staged in Hall II to crowds of students and parents.
Tune In is a comedy set in the home of a blind man, Qutbuddin Aibak, who has settled on his couch to listen to the radio on a stormy night. He is joined by Rubina the robber, a hapless criminal unable to escape, and James Khan, an even more incompetent inspector.
Much of the comedy is physical – the characters’ physical movements are exaggerated and they break into dance at every opportunity. Dance is also often used to convey an emotion or what the character is thinking, since there is little dialogue in Tune In. The blind man, the robber and the inspector spend much of their time boogying across stage for various improbable reasons, before a further bizarre twist as they come across a woman tied up and locked in a cupboard.
The comedy was a bit erratic, but some jokes drew laughter from the audience. The radio itself was the most entertaining character, and acted throughout as a kind of narrator. The play used sound a lot, which was also hit and miss: the radio segments were very well done, but some of the sound effects (like Tommy the dog) were poor.
Raks-e-Bismil tells a bleak story about Islam, sectarianism and violence. The setting is an unnamed Pakistani village, where the aging Maulana Ali - a benevolent prayer leader who preaches unity and love – struggles to get his students, or disciples, to work with each other.
The maulana’s death sets off an epic struggle between his mureeds and their followers.
This struggle is played out in a series of violent scenes, as neighbour turns against neighbour and husband against wife. Much of this violence is turned against women.
The final scene is set in a torture camp littered with blood and bodies. The only moment of hope comes when the torture victim refuses to accept the extremist Islam of his captor and calls himself a believer in the Sufi mureed.
Raks-e-Bismil is heavy on message, but a little light on story. It portrays a Pakistan torn apart by bloody sectarian violence. The acts of violence that it depicts happen across the country every day. That is why it was strange to hear the Lums students in the crowd cheer and holler as women and men were depicted getting tortured and killed on stage.
Faizan Peerzada of the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop presented certificates of recognition to the students after each play and spoke briefly about the festival. He said he was proud to have worked with RPT in putting on hundreds of plays at Alhamra through its various festivals.
Peerzada was hopeful that the World Performing Arts Festival, the RPT’s flagship event which was last held two years ago, when it was the target of two small bombs, will continue to inspire and showcase talent. “The sad thing was November 2008 when some people visited us with bombs,” he said. “We are trying to get it back and we will get it back through these other festivals” like the Youth Performing Arts Festival, he said.
Natak, a group from Punjab University’s College of Art and Design (PU-CAD) staged Awam Ghar.
The main theme of the play, a parody of TV talk shows complete with music clips and breaks for ‘commercials’, was borrowed from Amjad Islam Amjad.
The host, Barjasta Tareen, introduced five guests representing the four provinces and the Federation who ‘discussed’ the NRO. The audience, made up mostly of PU students was appreciative.
Salman Peerzada from Rafi Peer theatre and Dr Rahat Ali, the PU-CAD principal, presented participation certificates and an award to Bilal Ahmed, the writer-director.
Additional reporting by Saleha Rauf
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2010.
Students from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lums) and the National College of Arts (NCA) staged wildly contrasting plays at the third day of the Youth Performing Arts Festival here at the Alhamra Cultural Complex on Friday.
Tune In by Wizzi Productions, an NCA group, was a light physical comedy, while Raks-e-Bismil by Lums was a dark tale of a village wrecked by sectarian violence. Both plays were staged in Hall II to crowds of students and parents.
Tune In is a comedy set in the home of a blind man, Qutbuddin Aibak, who has settled on his couch to listen to the radio on a stormy night. He is joined by Rubina the robber, a hapless criminal unable to escape, and James Khan, an even more incompetent inspector.
Much of the comedy is physical – the characters’ physical movements are exaggerated and they break into dance at every opportunity. Dance is also often used to convey an emotion or what the character is thinking, since there is little dialogue in Tune In. The blind man, the robber and the inspector spend much of their time boogying across stage for various improbable reasons, before a further bizarre twist as they come across a woman tied up and locked in a cupboard.
The comedy was a bit erratic, but some jokes drew laughter from the audience. The radio itself was the most entertaining character, and acted throughout as a kind of narrator. The play used sound a lot, which was also hit and miss: the radio segments were very well done, but some of the sound effects (like Tommy the dog) were poor.
Raks-e-Bismil tells a bleak story about Islam, sectarianism and violence. The setting is an unnamed Pakistani village, where the aging Maulana Ali - a benevolent prayer leader who preaches unity and love – struggles to get his students, or disciples, to work with each other.
The maulana’s death sets off an epic struggle between his mureeds and their followers.
This struggle is played out in a series of violent scenes, as neighbour turns against neighbour and husband against wife. Much of this violence is turned against women.
The final scene is set in a torture camp littered with blood and bodies. The only moment of hope comes when the torture victim refuses to accept the extremist Islam of his captor and calls himself a believer in the Sufi mureed.
Raks-e-Bismil is heavy on message, but a little light on story. It portrays a Pakistan torn apart by bloody sectarian violence. The acts of violence that it depicts happen across the country every day. That is why it was strange to hear the Lums students in the crowd cheer and holler as women and men were depicted getting tortured and killed on stage.
Faizan Peerzada of the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop presented certificates of recognition to the students after each play and spoke briefly about the festival. He said he was proud to have worked with RPT in putting on hundreds of plays at Alhamra through its various festivals.
Peerzada was hopeful that the World Performing Arts Festival, the RPT’s flagship event which was last held two years ago, when it was the target of two small bombs, will continue to inspire and showcase talent. “The sad thing was November 2008 when some people visited us with bombs,” he said. “We are trying to get it back and we will get it back through these other festivals” like the Youth Performing Arts Festival, he said.
Natak, a group from Punjab University’s College of Art and Design (PU-CAD) staged Awam Ghar.
The main theme of the play, a parody of TV talk shows complete with music clips and breaks for ‘commercials’, was borrowed from Amjad Islam Amjad.
The host, Barjasta Tareen, introduced five guests representing the four provinces and the Federation who ‘discussed’ the NRO. The audience, made up mostly of PU students was appreciative.
Salman Peerzada from Rafi Peer theatre and Dr Rahat Ali, the PU-CAD principal, presented participation certificates and an award to Bilal Ahmed, the writer-director.
Additional reporting by Saleha Rauf
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2010.