NAWABSHAH: A two-day interuniversity theatre festival organised at Sindh University’s Naushahro Feroze campus in collaboration with Pakistan Arts Council, Karachi, ended on Thursday with speakers’ calls for the need to use theatre to disseminate scientific and literary ideas required for awareness, reforms and social change.

The university’s pro-vice chancellor Prof Dr Azhar Ali Shah, a panel comprising Dr Ayoub Shaikh and Syed Muhammad Ahmed Shah of Pakistan Arts Council, Karachi; president of Pakistan Arts Council, Khairpur, Mukhtiar Malik and others evaluated the theatres and observed that the theatres should disseminate scientific and literary ideas which were required for creating awareness and reforming society. They appreciated the talent of the university students and enlightened them with valuable guidelines.

On the first day of the festival on Wednesday, as per decision of the panel led by Dr Ayoub Shaikh, the first position was secured by the students of Department of English, Sindh University Campus, Naushahro Feroze, on account of their performance of Oscar Wilde’s theatre The Importance of Being Earnest.

This theatre was directed by Prof Dr Azhar Ali Shah and was performed by Wali Muhammad, Akesh Kumar, Rida-e-Zainab, Aneesa, Alina, Alvina, Niha and others. The Second position went to the Department of Sindhi, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU), Nawabshah, for their performance of Mokhi Matara written, directed and performed by Ms Umme Hani Sindhu, Mustafa Keerio, Ujala, Maryam and others.

The third position was secured by the Department of English, SBBU, for presenting Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, which was directed by Ms Ruqia Bano and performed by Shahzad, Zainab, Yaseen and others.

On the second and concluding day of the festival, as per judgement of Mukhtiar Malik, the first position was secured by the Department of English, Sindh University, Laar Campus, Badin, for the best performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet directed by Dr Tufail Chandio and Muneer Kunmbhar and performed by Muhammad Talib, Takhleeq, Mujeeb and others.

The second position went to Institute of English Language & Literature, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, on their performance in Family written by Sania Salam and directed by Dr Ishrat Ranjhani. Ayesha Shoro, Areesha Memon and others played different roles in the drama.

The third position was secured by the Department of English, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, on the performance of Christopher Marlo’s Dr Faustus directed by Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khokhar and Abdul Rashed Soomro and performed by Ali Hasnain, Farooq, Sadaqat and others.

The guests along with Science, Literature and Art Society president Adil Khoso distributed awards and certificates among the best performing students.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024