Men, women and life

Both Meherangiz and Jameel agree that the play is a dig at the inflexible husband familiar to married women, who employ any means to communicate both their love and loneliness. The play is somewhat of a black comedy, as the wife struggles to convey her despair to her husband’s foot which jiggles unresponsively, almost mocking her sincerity. As the dialogue unfolds, the wife slides further into depression where she populates her lonely world with imaginary characters to keep her company. In the end, she accepts an imaginary wedded bliss which is of her own making, rather than the result of a honest communication with her partner.

The second play, another one-act, two-character situation, The Dock Brief, goes further in the realm of the fantastic. Says director Carl Mendes, "It takes the middle path between complete absurdity and the harsh reality of our lives." The play is the story of a bird-fancier jailed for murdering his wife. The play explores the relationship of the accused with his state-appointed advocate, a pathetic man who spends most of his time waiting for a case. The guilty client, played by Jameel, and his desperate advocate, played by Sanjeev Vatsa, evolve a relationship in which the accused man becomes the lawyer’s counsel, lifting his spirits and reminding him of his humanity. The irony of their encounter is complemented by an ending which defines justice in broader, human terms, greater than the simple legal matters of guilt and punishment.

The three actors involved in these two simple yet energetic performances have had significant dramatic and film experience. Meherangiz is a trained ballet dancer; Jameel is a screenplay and television script writer; and Sanjeev has acted in classical theatre and television. Carl Mendes, an interior design consultant by profession, has had much experience in conceiving theatrical spaces, a talent which lends itself well to the present production. These artistes have managed to bring the immediacy of human tragedy to a brooding comic portrayal of familiar themes of marriage, law and justice.

The plays will be staged at Experimental Theatre, NCPA on July 13 and 14, 1997.