Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?’ Pete Seeger’s anti-war folk song echoed in the cosy hall of Akshara Theatre where Women in the Dark—a play set in the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict—was staged on Sunday. Written by Masha Denisova and Iryna Serebriakova, this play directed by Anasuya Vaidya allowed the audience to feel a fraction of the wide-ranging emotions and experiences of those living in conflict zones.
Women take centre stage
When one of the members of the theatre group rushed towards the audience who stood in the waiting area and hurriedly asked them to leave for the air raid shelter (the performance space), the urgency in his voice set the mood for what the viewers were to witness. The act is centred around two characters—Lara and Masha played by Surabhi Sahni and Nisa Shetty respectively—who live in the same building and are trapped in an air raid shelter.
Amid the sounds of missiles flying overhead, power outages, and their lives hanging by a thread, the two discuss what it is to be a woman—especially in a war-torn country—and casually share their multi-experiences be it of career, family, Christmas, harassment, or even forming a cult!
As the play progressed, the actors get more comfortable in their characters, gradually indulging the audience more, evoking laughter, and even tears at some point.
Trusting the process
The songs, Vaidya shared, were not a part of the original script, “I chose songs that I felt would carry the emotions of the play. Where have all the flowers gone is an iconic song, which can apply to any situation of war irrespective of the country and language. I remember people singing this song in my childhood.” Vaidya also remarked that the Indian audience is emotional, and responds well to emotions. “It took a while to work on the play,” she added.
The actors also moulded their craft to portray their respective roles, which are based on people from a country with a different culture. Sahni divulged that it was while watching the news that she saw the pain in the eyes of the people of Ukraine. “I had watched the interviews of people. I tried to display [the emotions].”
Shetty shared that the core of the act depicted in the play is very humane, “I thought, there is a catastrophe and two people are trapped. What would they have conversations about when they know they can die any second, but are trying hard to ignore this possibility and feel normal again?”
Connecting beyond boundaries
Rajouri Garden resident Pulkita Singhal (26) found the entire experience surreal. The attendee shared, “I could see what happened in Ukraine through this play. It is hard to relate because we have all the freedom [in India]. It filled my heart with emotions.”
The play left everyone present there with varied emotions, with most contemplating where we stand. A moment in the play that stood out is when Lara said: “I wish there’s peace. We are all one at the end of the day.” The characters look at each other and go ‘Budmo!’, referring to what the Ukrainians say when raising a toast—it literally means ‘let us be’. Indeed, let us be.