Leading theatre troupe Nagarik Natyasampraday will stage one of its acclaimed productions Opekkhaman (At Threshold) today evening, after iftar at Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The play was originally prepared in 2009 for Ibsen festival. Written by eminent poet-playwright Syed Shamsul Haque and directed by thespian Ataur Rahman, the play reinterprets two seminal works of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen- A Doll’s House and An Enemy of the People.
In his attempt to retell the stories of the two famous plays, Syed Haque has used one character from each of the two plays- Nora from A Doll’s House and Dr Stockmann from An Enemy of the People. Besides, the playwright has included another character, the artist from his own play Irsha.
The presentation is quite unconventional and impressive. The play begins with staging of climaxes of the three plays briefly to relate the themes and characters of the classics to the audience.
Subsequently, the characters—Nora, Dr Stockmann and the artist, enacted by Nayla Tarannum Kakoli, Ataur Rahman and Pantha Shahrier respectively, meet at a railway station called Achintyapur.
While in conversation at the station, the characters reveal their experiences and emotions- what they felt, what wrongs they suffered and how life seemed to be a burden. Above all, the true meaning of life, pondering about it – dominates the conversation.
Syed Shamsul Haque’s marvelous and arresting way of putting these serious, philosophic questions rivets the audience.
Following these intriguing questions and conversations, all three characters come to realise that life goes on, no matter what.
The troupe will stage the 21st production of the play today. To note, Opekkhaman has earlier been staged in the Cairo International Experimental Theatre Festival 2010, Nepal Theatre Festival 2011 and India Theatre Festival 2011.
-With New Age input
