Journalism of Courage
Through its play of real incidents of domestic violence,this theatre group makes the audience intervene to find solutions for this gender-based issue
Domestic violence is a deep dark tunnel at the end of which not many find light. Some just sink deeper into silence,their voices suppressed by indifference. The irony that stares in the face of every domestic violence sufferer is that everyone can see the scars,or can sense the emotional turmoil,but very few think it their business to interfere. A play called ‘Shadow Liberation’ then may sound like a promising concept to address the issue.
‘Shadow Liberation’ works on two levels – first,a cast of 17 performs it in full format; a second round then ensues as a recap of certain scenes. This truncated segment invites audience members to ‘intervene’ in their own way and prevent the abuse. “Everyone reacts differently and there have been many interesting interventions,” says Evan Hastings,artistic director. “One of our ideas is to figure out how can it be taken up as a men’s issue?”
Though the play itself has no ambition of being a package of solutions,its interactive nature is a sure push in that direction. “The script came out of workshops,where life experiences were shared. So the incidents are all true and real,and are parts of the authenticity of the play,” continues Hastings. Domestic abuse is the crux of the narrative here,but it also scoops up on child sex abuse and homophobia,an issue Hastings realised not many audience members react to. “Our ultimate aim is to address the idea of sexual assault and gender-based violence,” he says. By March,Shadow Liberation would have been web cast to live American audiences in two cities,and will hopefully form a creative global dialogue on the issue.
Pune-based Open Space has initiated this play’s visit here. “We feel about this issue very strongly,and want to support any initiative that revolves around it,” says Ujwala Samarth of Open Space. She believes the Forum Theatre format of Shadow Liberation is an effective means to drive home the point. “Domestic violence cuts across class and community; it could be happening in a high-rise building or at a slum. This form of theatre gives a voice to the oppressed,without upholding a victim,” she says.
