Curtain call: Drama workshop concludes at PNCA

Waqar Azeem concentrates on introduction of acting, script-writing, acting.

ISLAMABAD: A three-day drama workshop, focusing on different elements of theatre, for aspiring actors, directors and script writers, concluded on Thursday.

The workshop, conducted by Waqar Azeem, covered topics such as the introduction of acting, the universal principles of acting, the history of theatre, differences between acting and other kinds of performances.

Moreover, the organiser also shed light upon the different uses of voice in acting, breathing and the use of the throat and exercise for voice without microphone and with microphone. While the third day was dedicated to focusing on the role of imagination in acting, evolution of script, the different schools of thoughts in theatre (including realism, symbolism and absurd). Other tools such as light, sound and set were also discussed.

Students were taught script evolution through an exercise where each one of them said a single sentence. All sentences were noted down and connected to form a script.

Drama director Sabir Khan and stage actress Iffat Chaudhry also met the students and shared their experiences.

Finally, PNCA Director General Mohammad Naeem distributed certificates to all the workshop participants. The students of the drama workshop will work on a play from May 19 to May 28, which will be staged at PNCA on May 29.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2015.