VATANDARA: EXCHANGE

An exchange between theatre artists, young people and the public, nationally and internationally, to create a vibrant dialogue about the future of Pakistani Theatre

Creative sessions, discussion forums, symposiums and live theatre
performances, throughout 2004

The first phase of Vatandara is an exchange between some of Pakistan's
most prominent theatre practitioners and the general public, creating a
space for dialogue with different theatre artists through exposure to
their work, involving video showings, live drama and debate.

Venue: Alhamra Hall 2, Qadaffi Stadium, Lahore (unless otherwise stated)

Time: Friday evenings from 5 March, 7-9pm

Friday evening sessions are free and open to all

5 March
Imran Aslam:
Entertainment and the Word

The writer, Imran Aslam founded Grips Theatre along with director, Yasmeen Ismali in 1980. Grips in Pakistan derives from the ‘Reichskabarett’ of 1960s Berlin- a highly political cabaret for adults- which became the first children’s theatre to perform regularly. The ideology behind the original Grips was to change society through the education of its children, in a form they can understand, which culminated in highly entertaining, highly political, slapstick drama.

Doing children’s theatre in the 1980s, during Martial Law, was for Imran a means of evading the harsh restrictions facing cultural activity. He describes the 1980s with an ironic fondness, with anecdotes about theatrical performances stopped by police officials: ‘those days were great fun’. Imran’s journalistic background is apparent in his playful manipulation of words – of freedom of expression in Pakistan he says there is a lot, ‘but unfortunately there is little freedom after expression’.

Imran Aslam has written over 60 plays for Grips Theatre, adapting many plays from the Grips repertoire along with writing many originals. Recently Grips has performed little children’s theatre, following Yaseen Ismali’s death in the 1990s. Imran’s adult’s plays are also extremely slapstick, and work within the bhaand tradition (akin to stand up comedy). Such plays tend to be performed by the company at well –to- do social functions – whereby he is directly attacks the perpetrators, forcing them to laugh at themselves.

Imran’s workshop consisted of a brief performance by his actors, improvisation around the concept of borders, video showing of Choti Moti Tota Aur S.M. Ahmed and discussion. VIDEO COMING SOON.

12 March
Sarmad Sehbai:
The Image and the Word

A poet, playwright and director of film and theatre, Sarmad Sehbai is known in Pakistan for his unorthodox approach towards art and culture.
Sarmad Sehbai main theatre output came in the 1960s when he wrote the first Punjabi play ever to be staged at Government Collage- Tu kaun? (Who are you?)- until then the student drama scene had been dominated by the English Language. Sarmad's most canonical work was The Dark Room (1972), still recited by the original cast.

In the workshop we worked on three of Sarmad's plays:
Hash- dilemma of the post- partition generation: drugs and revolution
Sunnu Gupshup (Lets Have Some Gossip) - a satire on a range of political figures from Faiz Ahmed Faiz to Bhutto, spiced with song.
Totarama (Parrot King)- Punjabi play set at a street side with an overly talkative parrot who predicts the fates of those around him. (click more information)

Sarmad Sehbai's Totarama which stayed with The Arts Council for seven years without seeing production will receive its premiere in the Lahore Festival, September and internationally.

There was also a viewing of his teleplay Fankar Gali, inspired by the small time stand up comedians in the slums of Karachi, followed by a discussion of his work.

19 March
Pappu Sain and Farhad Humayun:
Music as Performance

Pappu Sain, the dhol player can be found at Shah Jamal’s shrine every Thursday evening to night, performing to Allah, Saint Shah Jamal and also hundreds of people from all sections of society.

Pappu Sain is increasingly being recognised nationally and internationally- he appears on adverts and in collaboration with Farhad Humiyun (percussion) is attending concerts in USA and UK. But still, he maintains his oath, to play at the shrine every Thursday evening.

The dance- a spiritual whirling that accompanies the dhol eludes to our moth like existence- the performers hop circularly as though they are overcoming the tribulations of life, and as the percussion increases its beat the dance becomes more frenzied, more sporadic, as the performers seem to slip into another existence- heads and bodies whirling- something to be experienced and not reported.

Pappu Sain, and his collaborators and Farhad Humayun gave a performance, a discussion and an open dancing session.

26 March
Shafqat Hussein:
Music and Performance

Shafqat Hussain started work as a theatre activist in the early eighties.
Being one of the founder members of Punjab Lok Rahs, he has been
enjoying the transition from street theatre actor to singer but he found
his passion in music and explored it further to empower the parallel
theatre shift in Pakistan. He has been composing and performing for street
and proscenium plays for near 2 decades. Shafqat's work is mostly
exploring the music of Punjab in a variety of local genres. He has also
composed classic poets of Punjab, sung by several singers.

The session with Shafqat was multidimensional - about music, exploring its rationale in a cultural context of Punjab and aesthetics of its art form.

The group learned the expressions of different "Raags" and how to use them in a theatre piece and how music can be helpful to build the
situation.

Games were also the part of this workshop. While Shafqat was singing, all the participants were writing the expression they were getting from that music, like what color came into their mind and how's their mood changes listening that music?- Reflecting one theory of the origins of raags.

In the session with Shafqat, the group had insight to how music is
fused with a theatre piece, how important music is and how easy to sing and create music for the play or for a particular situation.

2 April
Navid Shazhad:
Fathers and Daughters

Navid Shazhad has been working in theatre since the 1970s, as an actress as well as spending approximately 15 years with the Government’s Arts Council, The Alhamara, set up during General Ayub’s presidency (1958-1968). At the Alhamara, Navid Shazhad has set up their puppet theatre and their library, she also serves on the scrutiny committee, which censors scripts adhering to the British act of 1876.

Navid’s session explored relationships between fathers and daughters in Shakesperian texts from Hamlet to The Tempest and Henry VIII, asking what relevance the relationships had in a Pakistani context. From these patriarchal figures we then explored authoritarian relationships in Pakistani society in two devised pieces by the group; one looking at the television set with its dominating figures of big bosomed Nargis to the incessant multi national ads; and the economic dependency of the household, exploring the familial figure of the friendly caca (uncle) giving money to his sister in law, while molesting his own niece.

9 April
Mohammed Waseem:
Interactive Theatre

Mohammed Waseem is Director of The Interactive Theatre Resource Centre (IRC), which although just three years old has already performed in more than 87 districts in Pakistan, trained over 50 theatre groups and approximately 500 theatre activists. IRC deploys Augusto Boal’s Forum Theatre Techniques to contest the struggles of the oppressed in Pakistan, from bonded labour to women right violations; from minority rights to the plight of poverty stricken fishermen.

Waseem began his theatrical career with Lok Rahs in the 1980s, in search for a theatre that belonged to the people, an effort which continues through his work with IRC.

Waseem’s session involved the formation of plays around particular issues important to the young people in our group, which ranged from sexual abuse to the manipulation of the media, and discussion about the interactivity of these plays in the public domain.

More information on www.interactivetheatre.org.pk

16 April
Khalid Abbas Dar’s career began in the 1960s with one man shows whereby he
became renowned as an excellent impersonator. He has appeared in many
prestigious TV programmes like The Zia Mohyeuddin Show and The PTV Awards
Show. He has to his credit innumerable stage acts and full length theatre
performances at home and abroad. At present he is doing a daily show at
Naaz Cinema.

14 May
Huma Safdar
Punjabi theatre

21 May
Salman Shahid:
Public Places/ Private Spaces

28 May
SHEEMA KERMANI:
DANCE THEATRE

Vatandara: Exchange
An exchange between theatre artists, young people and the public to create
a vibrant dialogue about the future of Pakistani Theatre

Creative sessions, discussion forums, symposiums and live theatre
performances, throughout 2004

Enquiries:
Tel: +92 (0)42 5830985
Email: vatandara@contextheatre.co.uk

Register for updates - click here

Curated by School of Liberal Arts (BNU), Lok Rahs and Context Theatre
+ With support from LAC

Press:

Click here for more project information (PDF)

Weekly editorial column in www.dailytimes.com.pk

Articles & Reviews:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_30-3-2004_pg7_22

Download above Daily Times article as PDF

Download flyer (PDF)

© Context Theatre MMIV

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