DU students bring Millington’s “Riders to the Sea” to Natmandal
As part of their curriculum, the students of the Department of Theatre, Dhaka University (DU), have arranged a weeklong staging of the globally renowned play "Riders to the Sea". The premiere show was on April 6 at Natmandal, DU and the play will be staged everyday at the venue till April 11. Ashikur Rahman Leon has directed the play based on the translation by Kabir Chowdhury.
"Riders to the Sea" was written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge (1871-1909). A one-act tragedy, the play is acclaimed for capturing the poetic dialogue of rural Ireland.
The play features four characters -- Maurya, her daughters Cathleen and Nora, and her son Bartley. Maurya's deceased sons -- Shawn, Sheamus, Stephen, Patch, and Michael -- are also mentioned throughout the play.
Maurya has lost her husband, father-in-law, and five sons to the sea. As the play begins, Nora and Cathleen receive news that a body has washed up on the shore and it might be their brother Michael. Meanwhile Bartley is planning to sail and ignores Maurya's pleas to stay.
As he leaves, Maurya predicts that by nightfall she will have no living sons. Her daughters scold her for allowing Bartley to go. Maurya goes after Bartley to bless his voyage.
Maurya returns home claiming to have seen the ghost of Michael riding behind Bartley and begins lamenting the loss of the men in her family to the sea.
The whole play takes place in Maurya's house, where the tragic story is narrated through the conversations between the mother and her offspring.
Nusrat Sharmin played the role of Maurya. Sharmin's performance would have been more credible if she could effectively incorporate the emotions of a woman who is coming to terms with colossal losses. Syeda Iffat Ara as Nora did seemingly well. Mahzabeen Islam played Cathleen, while Khan Mohammad Rafiqul Islam donned the role of Bartley.
The stage, light, costume designs and music direction were done by the students of fifth semester.
The play starts at 7pm every evening.
Comments