Drama festival explores case of existential crisis

A tragedy was staged at the Pakistan Theatre Festival 2023 on Monday under the direction of theatre artiste and fiction writer Sameena Nazir.

‘Shab Bakhaur Maa’ was an adaptation by Sameena of American playwright Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer Prize winning play ‘night Mother which deals with the conflict between an aged woman and her divorced daughter who finds herself in an existential crisis after a series of misfortunes including her poor health and her only son opting to choose a criminal path.

She announces her decision to commit suicide to her mother who initially laughs it off but when she realises her daughter is not joking, she engages in a meaningful conversation with her that unravels the layers of their characters.

There was no other character in the play besides the two women. The mother’s role was played by Manal Siddiqui while Rachna Kirpalani played the part of her distressed daughter. The theatre festival will continue at the Arts Council of Pakistan till October 8 with Jang and Geo News as its partners.