Shakuntala Ajkal: a few more steps

Lemona's thoughts on Wednesday (26th August) Session at Actomania

I went to Shilpakala Academy with Mamun Bhai (Shahidul Mamun), who brought printed copies of the plays for our reading session, along with snacks for everyone. This was actually my second meeting and orientation at Shilpakala Academy, the first having taken place three or four days earlier. Upon arrival, we met the members of Actomania, and Mamun Bhai gave a brief talk to the group, introducing the profile and works of Choyon Khairul Habib. This was my third interaction in relation to the play itself. We were later joined by Dr Ahmed Ahsanuzzaman Saklaen, Professor of English Literature at IUB and an Ibsen scholar with strong ties to the theatre community. Mamun Bhai introduced him and spoke about his academic and theatrical work before he addressed the group. 

Dr Saklaen had come to give a dramaturgical talk on The Alchemist, the novel that has been adapted into a play now at the final stage of production and rehearsal, and his session offered rich insight into the dramaturgy behind that adaptation. During the visit, he also brought along two books he had edited himself and presented both publications to Mamun Bhai; these will later be handed over to the Actomania Rotating Library. He then conducted a workshop with us, followed by a series of warm-up exercises that helped settle everyone into the afternoon's work. 

During the session, Talha Zubaer, a young theatre performer, introduced me to Elma, a charming young performer from NSU who studies Computer Science and is also a trained dancer and theatre practitioner. We fell into a collaborative conversation about Shakuntala Aajkal, sharing our initial thoughts and getting to know each other's interests, including how we might envision the play being staged, the nature of the performances, and the relationship between its characters and different time periods. We began by reading a scene involving both Shakuntala and Menaka to get a feel for the play, then gradually moved into longer scenes, continuing until Actomania broke for the day, after which I finished the reading with Elma and exchanged contact details with her. 

Towards the end of the meeting, I spoke further with Talha and Elma about my thoughts on staging the play. I explained that, since I have not yet had the chance to examine the play in depth with Choyon Sir, the playwright and my teacher, I haven't formalised my directorial approach. I also felt it would be valuable for Elma, and for any potential performers, to hear directly from the playwright how he has conceived and characterised Shakuntala and Menaka. I shared my interest in playing Shakuntala and directing the production, while also weighing the possibility of directing another pair of performers in those roles, which is why I felt it would help to meet and read with other candidates. 

Talha suggested that forming a small core team would also make the technical side of the production easier to manage. We touched on some of the play's postmodern elements too, particularly the contrasts between its characters, contexts, and differing perceptions of time. I left Mamun Bhai's printed copies of the play with the group so they could read the physical text and share it with future cast members. Before leaving, I asked Talha to connect with me on WhatsApp, as I'm keen to form a group for further discussion and readings; he said he'd get my number from Elma. I also told Elma that once I'm back in the UK, it would be good for us to fix a regular time to meet virtually and keep reading and discussing the play together. Overall, it was a productive first step toward exploring Shakuntala Aajkal practically, understanding its characters, and thinking through the possibilities for its eventual staging. 

Actomania Chief Secretary Talha Zubaer's message: 

আমরা খুব আনন্দের সাথে জানাচ্ছি যে চয়ন স্যারের টেক্সট টা আমরা ফ্লোরে পড়ার সময় টেক্সটের উপর পর্যালোচনা করেছি ও নাট্যকারের ভাবনা নিয়ে বেশ উৎসাহ বোধ করছি। আমাদের দলের কয়েকজন মেম্বার কে ইতিমধ্যেই শহীদুল মামুন এর কাছে রেফার করা হয়েছে। লিমোনার সাথে আমাদের দুদিনের সেশনে টেক্সট রিডিং সম্পন্ন হয়েছে এবং ভবিষ্যতে কিভাবে এগুবো সেটা নিয়ে সল্পালাপ হলো যদিও একটা নতুন প্রযোজনার ক্ষেত্রে যতটা সময় বা প্রস্তুতি প্রয়োজন  আমরা সেটা পাইনি। তবে এই সল্প সময়ে আমরা টেক্সট রিডিং দিয়ে যতটা পসিবল আলাপ করেছি। শেষ দিন লিমোনা এবং এক্টোম্যনিয়া-র সদস্য ইলমা সাথে টেক্সট রিডিং করেছেন। আর আমরা এই সিদ্ধান্তে উপনীত হয়েছি লিমোনা আপু ইউকে-তে ফিরে গেলে আমরা একটা গ্রুপ করে নিয়মিত টেক্সট পড়বো আর দুই দেশে থেকে কাজ টা এগিয়ে নিয়ে যাওয়ার চেষ্টা অব্যাহত থাকবে। আমরা যেন এখানে দুইটা সেট কাস্ট রেডি করে রাখতে চাই। একটা সেটে লিমোনা নিজেই শকুন্তলা করতে আগ্রহ প্রকাশ করেছেন। বাংলাদেশে নিয়মিত শো এর জন্য আমরা সংশ্লিষ্টদের পরামর্শ নিয়ে পরবর্তী পদক্ষেপ নেবো বলে সকলে সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছি।