"A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM AND AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE"
IN KABUL
Sayed Nazar Mohammadi
first year
master of scenography
of the
Kazakh National Academy named T. Zhurgenov
г. Алматы,
Казахстан
sayednazar@mail.ru
Students Kabul University played "A Midsummer Night's Dream and an
enemy of the people" as the most important plays of Shakespeare and Ibsen,
in 2012-2014 with financial and technical supports of Norwegian Embassy in
Kabul.
In the back story of these dramas, issues raised that are irrelevant to the
problems of Afghanistan especially human evolution
and progress of science provides comfort although the personal and social
responsibility makes it complicated.
The gap between ideas and thoughts for similar consistency and stood up against the ideas of others,
people are turning to the policy that we can see on the play of (an enemy of
the people).
In this article I want to show the events that occur on the performances and combined that with
current situation in Afghanistan. We start our discussion about (Midsummer
Night's Dream) William Shakespeare's comedy play written about the period
1596-1594.
Summary of the play A Midsummer Night's Dream:
It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers
and a group of six amateur actors, who are controlled and manipulated by the
fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The story plays happens in Athens, Tsvs, Duke of Athens,
decided in mid-summer night when the moon is full with beautiful women to marry
Hippolyta. So Tsvs commands to the MC and celebrating server’s court, that he
should make a plan to Pleasure Athenian youth at that night. This news has
created enthusiasm among the youth of Athens and each involves a romantic. Among
them, two boys and two young daughters in a love square are complex and most of
them revolve around the adventures plays. Both boys are in love with a girl and compete to get her.
Among girls, One of the girls
that she loves the boy, how doesn’t love her and her father is opposed
of this marriage. In both cases, the women of the play are the victims of their
love. Hermia –
daughter of Egeus, in love with Lysander and Helena – in love with Demetrius
Though lovers and charm of
competition and camaraderie as the main theme of the play, "A Midsummer
Night's Dream" for each culture, and people understand and know, but
certain things can be seen in the Athenian story that is similar to some
aspects of Afghan culture, including patriarchy domineering woman who is a
victim forever. Helena Athenian beautiful woman, that she love a man named
Demetrius and he doesn’t love Helena (one-sided love).
In a scene in which the neglect Demetrius
appalled says: “You hurt me to the temple, city and desert. Oh,Demetrius your oppressors, is
disrespect to women.. But we do not know how to fight with love, we have made
to be loved, not to love”.
It seems that the dialogues of the play is the
life of it. Shakespeare with a few words drawing eternal image of women as
always loved. The lover that always been object and passive, and always waited
for a man that he has to choose her, the human that can’t choses on their live,
His father must decide who to love. A happy child on the way, a gentle breeze
of entertainment for men.
The comic scenes in Shakespeare's plays, revealing the face of a patriarchal culture, and show
how women are the victims of eternal love games. For this reason, the play of
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is European, but also there is a lot of
similarities to the culture of Afghanistan, most violent patriarchy example of
religious, tribal region.
For example, I can mention killing a 22-year-old woman that her name was
Najiba that she lived in province Parwan. Just a few days before running the
show in Kabul, a little farther away from the capital, in the valley
Ḡorband, a number of men who are believed that they were belong to the
Taliban and they killed the woman that accused her for having romance
relationship with a man. Najiba murder’s video, shocked the whole world and
hundreds protesters people in Kabul demonstrated against that action.
According to government officials, with this woman a Taliban commander has
relationship and then the people known about that relationship and then to
cover their ashamed, they killed the woman and says that she has been in
contact with a man. Many believe that the Taliban didn’t do that action, the
gun men of the village by help of the Mollah have been issued and implement,
the death sentences of Najiba. Also Taliban did not take the responsibility of
that incident. If it is determined that this action is performed by the
villagers And the Taliban haven’t hand in this matter, should be even more
worried.
When Shakespeare the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in London
wrote, never thought that hundreds of years later and thousands of miles away
from Europe in an Islamic country, while a group of artist are performing his
play on stage, in the another side Midsummer a group of men are shooting a
woman in public. Najiba opposite of Helena knew that she made to be loved in a
patriarchal culture, not fall in love.
University Theater
These shows that performed by students of Kabul University, Faculty of Fine
Arts Department of Theatre, and directed by Salahodin Samandari a professor of
the Department of Theatre was carried out, by Norwegian co-production artists
and Afghans. A team of Norwegian artists in the setting, sound, and dramaturgy,
which I also contributed and worked as light designer and stag manager in that
performances.
This theater was performed by theater students in Kabul University. Opposite of
tragedy Ḡorband, Athenian comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is
full of moments of joy and fun that young actors of this work, they could
performed a few part of it in their implementation. While acting deficiencies were seen, but
given the lack of time for implementation of Kabul University students and
practice was satisfying.
Among the actors of this show, T. Hashemi and Mohammad Juma Mozaffari that
they play the roles of Helena and Batam, smoother than others. Unfortunately these young guys, according to
some social, economic and security problems, live abroad the country. Other
actors are Khadija Darman, Freba Nabi Zada, ahmad Zia Sahel, Aref Sadat,
Zanoabiden Sarwary, Halema Hashimi, Melad Farohk and Maryam, only the last
three are not students of the Department of Theatre.
Like some of his plays, Shakespeare, in "A Midsummer Night's
Dream" as the trick play in the game, and the itinerant theater actors
involved in the events of the play. Mohammad Juma Mozafari and Maryam Safi
played The role of itinerant theater actors and performed admirably.
Other considerable parts of the show were, stage design, costumes design
and makeup creative and atmosphere of the play however, despite the
inappropriateness of the hall, professionals were able to work out an
acceptable display space of the show.
An enemy of the People:
Now let to discuss about an enemy of the people from Henrik Ibsen,
Norwegian writer. In 2014 the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Kabul University was
performed “An enemy of the People” by students of Department of Theatre
and welcomed by countless audience, because of that, it has been performed
several time in Kabul. The story of the play "an enemy of the people"
in five scenes, the story is a threat to the health of the townspeople. Henrik
Ibsen has been written this piece in the nineteenth century for the Norwegian
audience and trying to make people understand their rights and responsibilities
of civil rights.
Summery story:
The hero of the play doctor Thomas Astvkman the moral attributes, and his
views on social issues, ethics and shows the author's own thoughts. He is the
brother of Peter Astvkman public bathroom hygiene control officer, his brother
Peter Astvkman is mayor of that city. They have a comfortable live there. But suddenly
finds out the water of baths and city is polluted and threatens the health of
the city and its passengers. He wants people to become aware the fact by the
newspaper but his brother try to prevent. Two brothers stood opposite each
other. Astvkman doctor who defends from the truth and his brother (mayor) rely
on the fact. Structure that leads to development, but it also destroys valuable
things at the same time. One of the other themes of the play's critique of
liberalism.
Haron Nori directed this performance in Kabul with differences compared to
the original script. The
conflict between two brothers is about the medical bathroom that annual number
of patients from other countries come into the city and is one of the city's
vessels economy.
But the student of Kabul University changed to the building which they are
constructed in Kabul, but without canalization system. Day by day polluted
underground waters and brings hundreds disease to the residences of Kabul where
more than six million people living. To stimulate people who do not have the
understanding and knowledge of the truth and encourage them to use against
insurgent doctor. Use the sort of questions from people who are not aware of
the issue of corruption in Afghanistan is unprecedented.
Haron Nori the young Afghan director could joined them of play with the
increasable difficulties of life in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan.
Haron Nori that teaches directing at Kabul University's Faculty of Fine
Arts, with a group of students of the University and sponsored by the Norwegian
Embassy performed the play "an enemy of the people" in the hall of
the faculty of fine arts. In a large number of audiences who filled the hall with
its ultimate capacity and a number of domestic and foreign teachers with the
students attended.
Although foreign plays in the Afghan theater has a long history, but the
drama of Ibsen's no one remember to performed on the stage of Afghan theater.
While Ibsen had a significant effect on
modern theater and civilization of Europe. In the modern
playwright, Ibsen pay attention on moral and civic issues. Mental forged his
character, individual rights to discuss and draw the viewer in a way that leads
out of the darkness.
Although the "an enemy of the people" is not the most famous
works of Ibsen's. But
the drama with the current situation in Afghanistan have similarity.
Specifically, there is an actor dressed in traditional "Chapan and skin
hat Qapaqul," a symbol of Afghan last President Hamid Karzai comes on
stage. And can related with the current stressful political situation in
Afghanistan, that after the first round of the presidential election that was
brought into the second round, and continued for more than a year and the
result was a national unity government. Afghan public in sector of economic, social and security
were affected. Afghanistan's
population is divided into two parts, and used against each other. As Ibsen in his
drama, the conflict is between two brothers, one mayor, and one doctor. One
thing about people and community, another to thinking about money and power. These types of
incidents in Afghan society are very much like conflict between two brothers
etc. both are leading to murder. In the not too distant past at the time of the
Civil War in Afghanistan there was worse than it that is not mentionable. The
duration of practices of this play was 25 day with all technical works.
The new generation of Afghan theater:
Despite all this, watching the young boys and girls Afghan actors perform
Shakespeare, Ibsen, and other great writers in Kabul, promising an experience
in which the appearance of a new generation of theater artists in the country
are hopeful. Almost all the previous generation of theater artists are
displaced, or have retired or died. New Afghan artists in theater are trying to
establish the relationship between the living and the theater that the best examples are
these performances to view parts of the story of women’s life and politicized
men by character of Shakespeare and Ibsen dramas. Women who do not have the
right to make decisions about their lives. And even men instead of them decided
to how they should feel the love. The men who are going to achieve wealth and
power, diapered his brother.
Afghanistan is the most famous in the world as the Forbidden love.
Hundreds of young women for the love of a man and ran away from home in the
country's prisons are kept. Opposite Shakespeare's comic characters, each with
their lover to arrive and their story has a happy ending, the story of the
lovers of Afghans, especially women love, less to the happy ends and perhaps
ill-lovers a chance to finish their story to the wedding chamber of the chamber
ends prison.
Apparently it will take time to government officials and rulers of the Law
on the Kabul come to the conclusion that someone should not be punished for
falling in love. These men must sometimes pay attention taxi drivers in Kabul
that on the back of their cars wrote: "Love is not a sin!"
References:
1.
Ali Karimi
article
2.
BBC news
3.
http://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/
An enemy of the People:
4.
http://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Аннотация
В статье дан
сравнительный анализ спектаклей двух известных драматургов, "Сон в летнюю
ночь» Шекспира и «Враг народа» Ибсена, которые были поставлены при финансовой и
технической поддержке норвежского
посольства в Кабулском университете в 2012 г. и 2014 г. Сюжет и общая фабула
спектаклей рассматриваются сквозь призму текущей политической ситуации
в Афганистане.
Sammery
The article
deals about the performance of two famous theatre by the name of "A
Midsummer Night's Dream and an enemy of the people" from Shakespeare and
Ibsen, in 2012-2014 with financial and technical supports of Norwegian Embassy
in Kabul University. In this article we will discuss about the theme of these
plays and relationship and connection of them to the current situation of
Afghanistan.
Студенты Кабульского университета исполнил
«Сон в летнюю ночь и враг народа", как наиболее важных пьес Шекспира и
Ибсена, в 2012-2014, при финансовой и технической помощи Посольства Норвегии в
Кабуле.
В задней истории этих драм, поднятые что
являются несоответствующими проблемам Афганистана, особенно эволюции человека и
прогресса науки обеспечивает комфорт, хотя личная и социальная ответственность
делает его сложным. Разрыв между идеями и мыслями для подобной консистенции и
встал против идей других людей, людей поворачивается к политике, которую мы
видим на спектакль (Враг народа и Сон в летнюю ночь и враг народа,).
Summary
Kabul University students played "A
Midsummer Night's Dream and an enemy of the people" as the most important
plays of Shakespeare and Ibsen, in 2012-2014 with financial and technical
supports of Norwegian Embassy in Kabul.
In the back story of these dramas, issues
raised that are irrelevant to the problems of Afghanistan especially
human evolution and progress of science provides comfort although the personal
and social responsibility makes it complicated.
The gap between ideas and thoughts for
similar consistency and
stood up against the ideas of others, people are turning to the policy that we
can see on the play of (an enemy of the people).