“In the dark times will there be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times.”
-Bertolt Brecht
The Creative Arts, the award winning all women’s troupe, is back with their critically acclaimed play, ‘Beyond Borders’, an amalgamation of stories of refugees from all parts of the world and all walks of life. We had the opportunity to sit in on one of their rehearsals and discuss the play with renowned director, Ramnjit Kaur, and the entire cast.
Surprisingly, they do not have a typical script. According to one of the cast members, every actor does their own research for their part and brings it to the table; she says, “Every day we improvise and ma’am is open to all suggestions.” This unique process helps to bring out the best in every actor as they start relating to their characters. The emotions, and not the verbatim dialogues, take centre stage.
The refugee crisis is a very topical issue in today’s world. “Everything that happens in The Creative Arts is a product of what we are living. I always feel that the art form is a depiction of whatever we’re living and feeling.”, explains Ramanjit Kaur.
The Borders in the title include not only physical borders, but also the symbolic and metaphorical borders that exist between us. A very poignant line of the play, as quoted by Ramnjit Kaur, is, “Koi toh apne ghar mein bhi refugee ho sakta hai.” The idea that the word ‘refugee’ is not only limited to nationalities, but also extends to cover colour, race, caste, class, gender and sexuality, is repeatedly reflected in the play.
Ramanjit Kaur talks about how the visual imagery brings forth the emotions and intensity of the play. The musicby Mr. Tanmoy Bose just adds to the atmosphere which pulls you into its own world. You need to watch it to get the feel of it. Do watch the production which is being staged on 9th February, 2018, from 7 pm, at the ICCR.
-Unmisha Misra and Tuba Waqar
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