The second day of Dramafest, the annual theatrical festival organised by the Lahore University of Management Sciences’ (LUMS) Dramaline Society, started off on an expectant note.
Karachi Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture: The play told the story of a man suffering from schizophrenia whose mother, upon finding out about his ailment, confines him to a dark room believing that he is possessed. He kills his mother, his childhood confidant because of his seclusion.
The climax of the play showed an exposition of vice in a tabloid form enacted on EP’s song ‘Irtiqa’- a tyrannical politician, a mullah and a feudal feeding off of the misery of the destitute. An apt characterisation, a commendable performance by lead actor Arsal, well-executed props and delivery, and sound and light effects succeeded in portraying an accurate account of the society’s bigotry.
COMSATS: ‘Irtiqa’ was described by the director as “gothic and horror”. A tableau was enacted on the same EP song depicting the circle of life; the fracturing of our society along class lines, violence against women, the escapist lifestyles of the elite, the imposition of fake nationalism leading to fake patriotism and people’s poverty and disillusionment were portrayed and juxtaposed joy alongside with a wedding scene.
The costumes and makeup were, sadly, the only forte, owing perhaps to the repetition of song and theme from the previous play. The fact that the performance was strongly reminiscent of the video of the song ‘Irtiqa’ also stripped off any originality that one might have credited it with.
LGS Defence: This was apparently the main attraction of the night, with a majority of audience leaving as soon as the play ended. The play told the story of a poor family and highlighted the injustice that springs from power imbalances in society and selective implementation of law. The play ended on an optimistic note as students chanting revolutionary slogans enter the courtroom, beat up the wrong-doers and hoist a Pakistan flag with smiles on their faces.
The good acting and delivery, literary references to Faiz, and superb light and sound effects could have made this play the most outstanding act of the evening but the possibility was marred by the abrupt and poorly thought out addition of revolution.
LGS Johar Town: Their play added much-needed satire to the gloomy mood set by the preceding plays. Two lead actors in the play, one burdened by a fatal illness and bland life and the second with his optimistic outlook, taught an important lesson in a light-hearted manner: life is what you make of it. The second lead was executed to perfection by Abuzar; this along with light and sound effects, a well-written script and reference to Iqbal’s ‘Jawab-e-Khizr’, made for a well-rounded act that garnered much applaud from the audience.
Dramaline society in collaboration with Smile Again Foundation: The play integrated three stories in a single narrative, portraying the physical and emotional violence that women from all classes in Pakistan are subjected to. The stories were interspersed with scenes from the ‘Smile Parlor’ (drawing a parallel to Depilex) where rich clients looked down upon burn victims hired there as workers.
The nuanced social analysis and good acting managed to conceal execution flaws, such as technical faults with sound and lags in setting up props. Musarrat Misbah, the founder of the foundation, along with five burn victims, were then called on stage and received a standing ovation from the emotional crowd.
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute: The second day of Dramafest concluded with a performance by GIKI, which looked promising as it was the only comedy act of the night but it proved to be a sore disappointment. The slapstick comedy aimed at the portrayal of society in the form of an allegory but the lack of satire made the plot fall flat.
