Media Release from HuM Theatre
HuM Theatre, the company that brought you awardwinning plays like Rafta Rafta and The Kanjoos, is staging a new production called We Are Like This Only!
The company’s new play is a full on forum theatre treatment of the integration issues rattling the Indian diaspora.The divide between the “local” Indians and the “Indian” Indians seems to be widening on the back of seemingly justified perceptions of each other, depending on whose point of view you take.
What better way to do this than to air, vent and debate these feelings on the theatre stage. Perhaps, that way we may be able to clear up some of the delusional clutter or perhaps we may simply agree to disagree on some of the irritants. Either ways progress is the goal.
So how is We Are Like This Only! going to accomplish this pretty daunting task? Drawn from testimonials and from a blogosphere engorged with vitriolic commentary, the text is devised to represent some of the many conflicting sentiments. With complete respect to the sensitivity of the issues involved, the only liberty that has been taken is to infuse it with some tonguein cheek humor.
The impossibility of representing all the facets of this complex situation in a few pieces of dramatized routines is obvious. The intent therefore is to use the material to induce the audience into a more rigorous exploration of the issues.
In typical forum fashion the audience will be invited to interview or counsel any of the characters or to offer their own anecdotal experiences which could cast another lens over a point of interest or of contention.
HuM Theatre has had a successful run of very entertaining multiracial cast plays (Rafta Rafta, The Kanjoos, Prisoner of Mumbai Mansion). Now the theatre company is delighted to journey into the heart of the Indian integration conundrum with the support of the National Integration Council.
We Are Like This Only! (said with a shrug of the shoulders) is the typical Indianʼs colloquial response to the problem. It reads two ways based on the tone of delivery – either a belligerent, “I canʼt change, so get out of my face!” or a conciliatory “Iʼm sorry, this is me. Please accept me for who I am”. And therein lies the rub.
The play is written by Gauri Gupta and directed by Daisy Irani. It stars Daisy Irani, Rishi Budhrani, Sivakumar Palakrishnan, and Sharul Channa.
We Are Like This Only! will be performed at the Goodman Arts Centre from February 26 to March 3, 2013, 7.30pm. Matinee shows on the weekend at 3pm.
Tickets at S$28 are available from www.humtheatre.com or call 93886994 for further queries.
To keep yourself updated on this production, do follow them on facebook Hum Theatre.
