Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, Apr 28: An experimental presentation of Ariel Dorfmann’s ‘Widows’ translated in Hindi by Rajeshwar Singh , emerged as a haunting and universal parable of individual courage in the face of political oppression, forms a testament to the disappeared – those living under totalitarian regimes the world over, who are taken away for “questioning” and never return.
Directed by Ifra Kak and scenography by Mushtaq Kak, the play marked the conclusion of the theater fest organized by Unison Repertory, at the Abhinav Theatre, here today.
The play opens with a group of peasant women in a war-torn village in an unnamed country, washing laundry by the river. When the bodies of men wash up on the shore of the river, one by one, a struggle is triggered among the women about who should bury the body: Each believes the man to be her missing loved one as all of the men in the village had ‘disappeared’ years ago under a corrupt regime. Meanwhile, an army captain, promises to return the vanished men if the women ‘behave’. But an old grandmother tired of behaving incites the women to protest against the regime, eventually, leads to the execution of a young boy and the near annihilation of the women.
The experimental nature of the performance was brought home by her to the audience in the opening scene itself when the male actors changed into well-conceived costumes of the widows/village women.
And what followed was a harrowing tale of state oppression with sub-plots, enacted by a cast, skillfully moving the action on a multi-level set depicting the river shore through ingenious use of blue plastic sheets , the military area in the centre, while the raised levels in the background as the path to the village.
Vinay Daggar and Sunil Sharma, with their befitting physiques, stood out respectively in the roles of a cruel lieutenant and the chilling captain. All actors gave a well-orchestrated performance in terms of delivery of dialogues, groupings, and body movements. Especially effective was the way actors impacted the punch lines with emotional import that seemed to hang like the after-image upon switching off a TV screen.
The cast in various roles included Tovin Kumar, Sandeep Verma, Sanam Sudan, Ankit Sharma, Mohit Singh Chib, Shanaya Khanna, Suniana Kumari, Vivek Sangotra, Dhruv Sharma, Jagjeet Singh, Susheel Raina, Abhay Rajput, Manica Biloria, Muzamil Khan. In chorus were Akhil Koul, Shilaka Sharma, Adil Sheikh, Mohit Puri and Sarbaaz Rangraiz.
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