August 10, 2008	Sunday	Sha’aban 7, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 9: Taking a step into uncharted territory – as far as theatre in Karachi is concerned – the Napa Repertory Theatre Company (NRTC) plans to stage an original experimental production titled Janey Pehchaney Ajnabi, based on the theme of relationships in the backdrop of urban life, from August 26 to 30.

Representatives of the NRTC, led by the company’s artistic director Rahat Kazmi and the play’s director Zain Ahmed, accompanied by National Academy of Performing Arts chairman Zia Mohyeddin and Napa faculty member Talat Hussain, spoke to the media about the play at the Press Club here on Saturday.

“There is no script. It hasn’t been written. It is an improvisational production. The theme the play is based on is family relationships and people’s experiences in the city,” the director told journalists about the NRTC’s third production.

Mr Ahmed said most plays performed in the city are either adaptations or translations of foreign plays, and since many are set in the past, they don’t talk about the issues of today. He said Janey Pehchaney Ajnabi would deal with people’s experiences in Karachi and urban centres and the pressures faced by residents of big cities. “There are some comedic elements as well as some serious bits. There are songs along with some pieces based on movement.”

The director, who has been trained in the theatrical arts from Canada, added that the play would focus on the youths’ perspective and the need for change felt by the younger generation. “It is a search for truth. I hope the audience will laugh with us and cry with us. It’s a dialogue about change in the city. It’s meant to make people think. The things we talk about in our drawing rooms and can’t say in public can be said through theatre. Drama is a dialogue in public space. Theatre is an immediate medium as the audience’s response can be gauged immediately,” he said.

Napa auditorium

Veteran artist Talat Hussain said funds were required for the completion of Napa’s own auditorium, where construction work has stopped. “Though it is a small theatre, perhaps it will be unique in the whole region as it will be the most well-equipped theatre in the subcontinent, comparable with any European theatre,” he said.

Zia Mohyeddin said that as most of the funding had come from abroad, perhaps it had stopped due to the political instability and security situation in Pakistan.

It might be pertinent to mention that there is a controversy surrounding the Hindu Gymkhana, which plays host to the current campus of Napa. Since it is a heritage building, technically no new construction is allowed there, while members of Karachi’s Hindu community have also expressed the desire to reclaim the building for the community’s benefit. Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palejo has also made statements indicating that the provincial government would return the Gymkhana to the Hindu community.

However, replying to a question, the Napa chairman indicated that it is within the academy’s purview to develop the Gymkhana, as the provincial government has leased the building to Napa.

“The Gymkhana is evacuee property. After Partition it came under the control of the federal government, which, after a few years, transferred control to the Sindh government. We have the permission of the provincial government to operate out of the building,” said Mr Mohyeddin.