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Shehzad Ghias' play on race and racism set to debut in New York City tomorrow

Shehzad Ghias' play on race and racism set to debut in New York City tomorrow

How did the play American Insecurity get picked up by an American theatre? We find out
Updated 19 Feb, 2016

While Shehzad Ghias prepares to put up Peter and the Starcatcher at the Lyceum in Karachi later this month, his script American Insecurity is getting a production at The Bridge Theatre in New York City this weekend.

He won't fly out for the opening performance on Saturday afternoon, but he's plenty excited about the achievement nonetheless.

The play

"One of the reasons I wrote the play was that there is no talk about airport security. It's like no man's land. The airport is not really considered the United States, so anything can be done to you," said Ghias to Images.

The two-act play is initially set in an airport waiting lounge and later moves to an interrogation room.

In the lounge, a young Muslim man and black teenager swap stories about their experience of racism. Their conversation wanders over themes like 'brown is the new black' and 'whose worse: the NYPD or airport security'.

At the end of Act 1, an explosion occurs and the two characters find themselves separately interrogated by an unseen investigator who employs the prisoner's dilemma tactic to eke out information from the 'suspects'.

The characters begin recalling things said in friendly conversation as possible evidence of the other's culpability, and reveal their own prejudice in the process.

"Whoever you think is the guilty party is guilty," Ghias tells us. "The play is more about the audience's perception, than what happens in the play itself."

Getting selected for the Dimensions Festival

Ghias had a dramatic reading of the play's first draft at the Casa De Beverley , a small, cosy theatre in New York, in May last year.

"Although this is not the case in Pakistan, all plays have a stage reading first, after which the writer may amend the script based on the feedback gained during the talk back. Only then is a play considered ready for a full-fledged production," Ghias tells us.

The dramatic reading of Airport Insecurity - Publicity photo
The dramatic reading of Airport Insecurity - Publicity photo

At the talk back, playwrights get feedback from the audience.

"For a play like mine, I wanted to be careful to not overstep my boundaries and appropriate another's culture. But I got good feedback at the talkback and one black audience member said that he could really relate my black character."

The dramatic production was an important stepping stone for Airport Insecurity:

"When you send a play for a festival, plays that have had a dramatic production or reading have a better chance at selection. I don't think there was anyone present at the dramatic reading who would have pushed for my play's selection, but the play's CV was better for it."

When there was a call for submissions, Ghias submitted his script between six months and a year ago. He was accepted by The Bridge Theatre for a a three-production schedule as part of the ongoing Dimensions Festival.

While he wasn't physically present during rehearsals, Ghias says he's been available as a resource for the director and cast:

"The writer doesn't have the liberty to ask for changes in the production, but is available as a resource for the director for clarifications or questions, and particularly the actors who would benefit from the history of each character conceived by the writer."

Airport Insecurity will be presented at The Bridge Theater, 244 West 54 Street, 12 floor on February 20th at 2pm and 7pm and February 21st at 7pm.

Comments

Yaseen Feb 19, 2016 05:01pm
Highly Commendable Congratulations!!!
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Nabeel Feb 19, 2016 06:27pm
Great topic for a Play - we can all relate to such situations
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junaid Feb 19, 2016 06:52pm
Thanks Dawn. If the staff would like to cover a Pakistani American who is actually running a not for profit theater in Chicago, I would love to help arrange an interview. They are currently running Ziryab however their next play is Mosque Alert starting March 24th.
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Calypso Feb 19, 2016 08:54pm
A big CONGRATULATION. Fantastic Topic.
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Khurram Feb 20, 2016 09:12am
@junaid- Hi Junaid, I have a production company in NY, would love to collaborate on a project. Please email me @KHURRAM@LAAJSTUDIOS.COM to further discuss.
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bye bye Feb 20, 2016 11:11am
"and one black audience member said that he could really relate my black character." No one says black any more in NY or for that matter anywhere in USA --- African American is the right way to name a person of color.
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hello Feb 20, 2016 09:04pm
@bye bye Checkout the Black Live Matter movement, or the session of the movement with Bernie Sanders asking him to say the word black.
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