Arthur Asher Miller once said, “Everyone, in some way or the other, is a salesman. Everyday, with stories, arguments, actions and discussions, we’re all selling something. Human beings interact with one another in a vast market of exchange, of pitch and purchase.”

Endorsing Miller’s approach and taking it further is the new Thespianz Theatre play titled Secret of Success. Taking situations straight out of real life with the kinds of characters that we experience in our daily lives, the play highlights day-to-day office politics and the challenges faced by salesmen. The young and ambitious Ahmed (Alamgir Khan) is a newly recruited salesman at a multinational firm. The curtain opens to show Ahmed and his mother (Rida Ashraf) deep in discussion about his new job and the challenges it poses. She, in typical eastern fashion, wants her son to get married.

The next scene introduces Furqan (Khawar Shah), a junior salesman and Fahad (Hamid Malik) a stereotypical disillusioned senior salesman sitting in a cafeteria and engaging in gossip. Fahad is laid-back and a nag who, besides enjoying all the perks of his position, is still ungrateful and avoids working hard. He also tries to demoralise new recruits and crushes their spirit.

The young, naive and eager Ahmed looks forward to learning the ropes from his seniors but doesn’t get any sound piece of advice from Fahad. On seeing Furqan and Ahmed working hard to pursue their dreams, Fahad makes fun of the two rookies.

After a short interval the play resumes to show the angry and furious senior manger, Amjad (Faizan Ahmed), wanting Ahmed to conduct an inquiry in Fahad’s field area that’s facing a rapid sales decline. Fahad’s dishonesty is unearthed and he ends up losing his job, while Furqan also realises that he was wrong all along.

Although the subject is quite serious and message-oriented, it could have been made more entertaining with a touch of humour beside a dash of glamour. “We wanted to keep it that way,” divulged Faisal Malik. “Our youth is the powerhouse of infinite energy, however little inspires them except shortcuts these days. Unaware of the repercussions, they not only lose their creative potential, enthusiasm and versatility but also resort to other unfair means. The play has been designed in a way to educate our youth to become more patient, tolerant, relaxed and career-oriented.”

With their attitude and body language, Alamgir Khan and Faizan Malik cement their standing as professional actors while Khawar is a great find. Hamid Malik was also a favourite with the audience. — A.K.