‘30 Days in September’ comes to Dubai
Trauma is the insidious creature that walks besides you and rears its head at inopportune moments. It’s when you least expect it that the wounds that you thought healed begin to bleed again.
It’s this trauma that’s the subject of the play ‘30 Days in September’, which will run for one night only at The Dubai Heights Academy Auditorium in Al Barsha and which is a collaboration between Dubai-based theatre troupes Third Half Theatre and EnAct.
In the play, which runs on January 13, we follow Mala who has been sexually abused as a child by an uncle and see how it affects her years on. “A play like this will always be relevant, especially when there still persists a propensity to victim blame and shame, and more so the need to save face, or keep things under wraps,” says Sanjeev Dixit, the director of this iteration.
“The play does not pull any punches. It is an immensely well researched piece and brings home the issues it centres on in a transformative manner,” he adds.
The play has been written by Indian director, actor and playwright Mahesh Dattani, whose work includes thought-provoking pieces such as Final Solutions, which explores issues of religious bigotry and communal violence, and Tara, which deals with gender inequality.
Trauma is a personal thing – and to watch a narrative that delves into this kind of darkness tends to train you on your own dark memories. “We all had to face some pretty harrowing truths. And to accurately depict the characters required a dive into some pretty dark places for the team,” explains Dixit.
A dark reflection
For him, it was disturbing to take on as a project, but he considers it his responsibility to navigate difficult subjects. “As a male director helming a predominantly female-centric play, it was also a huge responsibility. The team has been immensely supportive of each other and that is the true takeaway; for this play especially, but really for any of my plays. Community Theatre is unique in that sense.”
Lavania, who plays the protagonist Mala, says, “The toughest aspect was navigating the emotional intricacies tied to her [Mala’s] past trauma. To cope, I immersed myself in the character's mindset, drawing on empathy and depicting the resilience and struggles Mala faces.”
Serious plays are a rarity in Dubai, but veteran thespian Dixit believes the audience is ready for something that makes them think. “Dubai has a very mature audience, and the messaging of the play is such that it is important to spread the word on the issue it addresses as well as on the availability of options for help and therapy,” he says.
While the narrative centres around trauma, Rashmi Kotriwala, who is the founder of EnAct and plays the role of the mother Shanta, believes that people who see the play should walk away with a sense of courage. “They should know that violence in any form has deep consequences. Victims should feel courageous after watching it and should reach out for support.”
We can slay the beast.
The details
Tickets to see 30 Days in September, which runs at at The Dubai Heights Academy Auditorium, Al Barsha. start at Dh70 and are available on Platinumlist.net.