Guwahati: Theatre buffs in the city will have the opportunity to see actress Zerifa Wahid portraying five different characters in a play produced by Kopil Bora and Company.
Staging of the play, Aahaar, was announced at the launch of a new production house by Bora here on Monday. Three shows of the play will be staged at the Shri Shri Madhabdeb International Auditorium of Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra here at 7pm on Saturday and 4pm and 7pm on Sunday.
It is being staged in collaboration with the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra Society under the aegis of the Union ministry of culture.
Aahaar, written by legendary playwright late Arun Sarma in 1964, is considered a landmark in the history of Assamese theatre because it introduced theatre of the absurd in the state. This unique play has a single female protagonist playing five different characters.
The play will be directed by acclaimed theatre personality Abinash Sarma.
Bora said, "I have been working with different production houses and this is my first independent production. It is not easy to produce plays in the city. People don't come forward to support them. There are many short stories, books and radio plays in Assam which can be staged."
While Zerifa will be essaying the female characters central to the play, the four male characters will be enacted by Bora, Ranjul Baruah, Suruj Kalita amd Partha Hazarika. Munni Chakravarty is the executive producer and Anupam Laskar the chief production coordinator.
Zerifa said, "This play has been critically acclaimed. It is a different kind of play and it will be a unique experience to play five roles in a single play. There will not be enough time to change costumes and the changes in the characters will be internalised, with different voice tones, body language and mannerisms appropriate to the character. I will be playing the lover, wife, mother and sex worker."
Sarma said, "This play gave a new dimension to Assamese theatre. We have a lot of problems in staging plays in the city as the infrastructure is not adequate. The youths of Assam are talented but there is less scope."
