It’s good to know that the entire proceeds of the evening will go to the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Hospital....
theatre
A few days ago, I had the opportunity to attend a theatre evening which was organised by friends at Pink Ribbon, Karachi Chapter, in aid of the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer hospital in Lahore. The committee worked relentlessly to organise this 5th fundraising event which was attended by luminaries and prominent personalities of the city. In solidarity with the theme of the evening, most women were adorned in pink – a symbol of good health. Numerous women entrepreneurs donated generously towards the cause. It’s good to know that the entire proceeds of the evening will go to the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Hospital.
Pink Ribbon Campaign focuses on spreading awareness and establishing Pakistan’s first dedicated Breast Cancer hospital. Construction of the hospital is well under way. 60 per cent of the building is complete. OPD is operational with Doctors and Breast Ultrasound machine. 3D Mammogram facility will be operational by Dec 2022. The highlight of the evening was an Urdu play, ‘Aurat Art’, adapted and directed by Sameena Nazir. The honourable guests enjoyed the crispy and witty dialogues of this one-hour long play and there were no signs of boredom on anyone’s face. The theme of the play was friendship. The play revolves around three friends – Samar, Sanober and Arsalan. Samar is a connoisseur of modern art whereas Sanober is an Urdu lecturer and Arsalan has a small shop in Bolton Market, Karachi. Arsalan is also into reading books and appreciates art. Samar is from a well off family and likes to buy expensive paintings. The play starts with a scene where Samar proudly shows an expensive painting to her best friend Sanober. She considers it a master piece whereas Sanober detests the painting instantly. The two friends argue endlessly over the painting. Samar thinks that Sanober is jealous of her whereas Sanober has her own reasons of disliking the painting. It’s hard for Sanober to digest the fact that her best friend has wasted a huge amount on a futile painting. Then enters Arsalan in the picture who plays the role of a mediator, most of the time, between two friends. Their fight becomes ugly and bitter but towards the end of the play they realise that their friendship is above the material things and they have to accept each other with their shortcomings.
According to Sameena Nazir, the play is not a satire. “It’s a light-hearted play which brings you back to your good hormones. It’s a happy play. You can relate to the characters in the play,” elucidates Sameena who also teaches theatre and script writing at Arts Council, Karachi.
When asked what advice she wants to give to aspiring writers she says, “If one wants to become a writer, one has to read a lot. So read if you want to write.”
The play ended on a positive note and so did the evening!
-You! desk
