Pioneering absurdist in Bangladesh playwright Sayeed Ahmad’s theatre of absurd Kalbela was staged at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Saturday.
Theatre activists also discussed on the life and works of the playwright on his fourth death anniversary, observed on the day.
Sayeed Ahmad Foundation for Culture and Arts and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy jointly organised the observation programme on Saturday.
A civil bureaucrat Sayeed Ahmad was born on January 31, 1931 and died on January 21, 2010.
At the seminar, held at the seminar room of the academy, Apurba Kumar Kundu presented the keynote paper titled Amriter Sandhane Abhijatri Sayeed Ahmad.
The paper, in short details, focused on many aspects of the late playwright’s life and works. It concluded with an emphasis on
universality in Ahmad’s plays.
The versatile man Sayeed Ahmad wrote only five plays, he was simultaneously an art critic, a musician, and a storywriter, the keynote paper reads.
Cultural affairs secretary Ranjit Kumar Biswas, thespian Ataur Rahman, Sayeed Ahmad’s widow Parvin Ahmad, professor Abdus Selim, actor-director Lucky Enam, Muhammad Bari, Shahman Maishan, Zahid Repon and others spoke at the seminar moderated by Dr Israfil Shahin. Liaquat Ali Lucky, director general of BSA, presided over the seminar.
‘Sayeed Ahmad is correctly credited as the pioneer of theatre of absurd and existential theatre. More than that, his plays portray deep and subtle understanding of human life,’ said Ataur Rahman.
Urging to take initiatives to introduce Ahmad’s plays to the younger generation, professor Abdus Selim said, ‘He wrote world class plays.’
Sayeed Ahmed’s widow requested Shilpakala and cultural affairs ministry to organise a three-day fair every year where the playwright’s works can be adequately popularised among the young theatre activists.
The seminar was followed by the staging of Kalbela at the Experimental Theatre Hall.
Palakar’s production, directed by Aminur Rahman Mukul, was enjoyed by a houseful audience.
As found in the theatre of absurd, Kalbela features meaninglessness of life through the ‘stream of words’ of people belonging to an ethnic minority group in a char area in the country following a cyclone alert. On the face of death, the characters try to find the meaning of life.
‘The production was rewarding and challenging at the same time,’ said the director Aminur Rahman Mukul.
‘This sort of play is very rare in our repertory. It is a treasure in that. I enjoyed the play,’ said Parvez Faisal, a young theatre activist.
-With New Age input
