KARACHI: The National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) will stage Agha Hashr Kashmiri’s play Yahudi Ki Larki from Feb 16 to Feb 26, it was announced at a press conference on Monday evening.

Talking to the media, the play’s director Khalid Ahmed said in the mid-19th century a theatre tradition was established in the subcontinent called Parsi Theatre. It was run by the Parsis — they used to produce and manage it. It’s an interesting thing to note that the groundwork for Urdu theatre was laid by the Parsis. Zia Mohyeddin in his book had called them mohsin (benefactors) of Urdu theatre.

Mr Ahmed said Parsi theatre plays had a melodramatic feel to them in which the lines were spoken in a loud manner. Poetry was abundantly used — dialogue was written in verse. Even the prose portions had rhyming in them. Therefore in terms of language it’s an extremely interesting art form.

Secondly, he said, it had all the elements that the common man liked. It had songs on stage sung by the actors. Thirdly, there was a comedic segment in the dramas which would have nothing to do with the main thrust of the stories. For example, Yahudi Ki Larki is set in ancient Rome, but the comic part in it could take place anywhere in the world. So the entertainment quotient was high. The tradition of musicals too emanated from this genre, he said.

Renowned composer Ars­had Mahmud has handled the music bit of the play. He said the songs were related to the different situations that took place in the story. For the purpose he’d made some new tunes. The tradition of Parsi theatre was also kept in mind while composing the tracks. He thanked Julian, a Napa graduate, for assisting him in the project.

Actor Akbar Islam said the play focused on prejudices on the basis of religion and in the end the message that audiences got from the story was that in the final analysis, it’s humanity that triumphed.

Actor Fawad Khan said he enjoyed the linguistic nuances in the script because after every second sentence the actors had a verse to recite. The other thing was that the play was about minorities and how they’re treated in society.

Artistic Director of Napa’s Repertory Theatre Zain Ahmed said the academy would organise its annual international festival from March 16.

Published in Dawn February 14th, 2017