Curtain raiser: NAPA's Young Directors' Theatre Fest kicks off tomorrow
Following the success of the Napa International Festival in March, Karachi's National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) has introduced a new drama festival that puts the directors of tomorrow in the spotlight. The first Young Directors' Theatre Festival will kick off tomorrow and continue till November 29 at the academy's auditorium.
The festival will be an opportunity for Napa graduates to showcase their creativity. The six plays spaced over the festival's 12-day run will be shown for two days each.
Speaking about the festival, Zain Ahmed, Creative Director of Napa Repertory Theatre (NRT) shared that while Napa International Festival also features the work of young graduates, those entries are limited due to submissions by professional troupes from other parts of country as well as the world.
"This year the Young Directors' Theatre Festival will see participation from Napa graduates and although this time it's solely them, in future we might also accept young directors' entries from across cities and countries."
He added that a total of six plays have been selected from 14 entries and while some are straightforward adaptations and original plays, others are experimental, so the audience will be getting a diverse experience.
Here's what the first Young Directors' Theatre Festival has to offer:
Play: Khel Khel Main
Director: Akbar Islam
When: November 18 and 19
Synopsis: Exploring the famous technique of a 'play within a play', Khel Khel Main is an original script by veteran writer and actor Khalid Ahmad and follows a group of actors during a rehearsal as they try to create a new performance leading to complex and emotional interactions.
Play: Sakha Ram Binder
Director: Shahzad Jalbani
When: November 20 and 21
Synopsis: Penned by popular Indian writer Vijay Tendulkar, the play is based on the protagonist Sakha Ram Binder who may also be the antagonist. Binder who is very truthful believes that he can disregard societal and cultural norms and takes in other men's discarded women as domestic servants and sex partners. But what he fails to see is the emotional baggage as lives get intertwined ruining many in this arrangement.
Play: Time Stands Still
Director: I R Omer
When: November 22 and 23
Synopsis: Contemporary American playwright Donald Margulies's play is centred on a photojournalist Sarah who has returned from covering Iraq war after getting injured in a roadside bomb attack and her reporter boyfriend James. Exploring lives of those in journalism circles the plays delves into the character of both and their friends as they consider prospects of a much conventional life.
Play: Here lies a noble man
Adapted and directed by Hammad Sartaj
When: November 24 and 25
Synopsis: Touching the classics, the play will be an amalgamation of the Bard's Macbeth and Othello and will take Macbeth and Iago to explore their ambitions.
Play: Hatim Tai
Director: Farhan Alam
When: November 27 and 27
Synopsis: Written by famous Urdu playwright of the early 20th century Aaram, the play revolves around Hatim Tai, the prince of Yemen and his endeavours to rescue his friends from the spell of the evil magician by solving unusual questions.
Play: Ghosts
Director: Kashif Hussain
When: Novem 28 and 29
Synopsis: Henrik Ibsen's famous play comes to light which talks about Helene Alving who has kept hidden the negative aspects of her marriage from Pastor Manders. During the action of the play, she discovers that her son Oswald is suffering from syphilis that he inherited from his father. She also discovers that Oswald has fallen in love with Regina Engstrand. Regina is revealed to be an illegitimate daughter of Captain Alving, and therefore Oswald is falling in love with his half-sister.
Tickets are priced at Rs300 for students and Rs500 for others. Plays begin at 8pm at NAPA.