Looking around at some of the failed relationships around him and wondering what it was all about, Wasaam Ismail pondered, “What if someone were to write a play about this?” And that is what he did.
“It is such a common situation,” he muses, “referring to the central focus of his first original script. “Yet I have not seen this sort of conflict represented much in drama.”
Drawing from his own experiences and those of friends who have had to deal with the aftermath of failed relationships, ‘What If?’ a series of intriguing and enigmatic “What If?” questions as it takes the stage of the Punchi Theatre on November 25, 26 and 27 at 7 30 pm.
Written and directed by Wasaam Ismail, and produced by Javin Thomas, the play deals with all the deep, dark and sometimes damaging emotions invested in a failed relationship. “I had to delve quite deep into the psychology behind all the anger, the jealousy, the hate and disillusionment, so I spoke at length with a psychologist to try and reach a better understanding of what both parties would go through.”
The result is what promises to be an introspective view of relationships- from the stereotypical insecurities, to the uncertainty and vulnerability that set in. “I feel that the play is a rather bold take on relationships- navigating somewhat unchartered waters. All the scenes are very contemporary; and everyone who has read the script has this to say- that they can all relate to the story or the characters, at some point,” comments Wasaam.
“It is uncomfortably real,” adds 19 year old Samurdha Jayasinghe who will play Rachel- the female lead in the play. Building on her experience of acting in the annual Shakespeare Drama Competition, this will be her first private production. “Despite the contemporary setting, she says, “and the fact that these are familiar, everyday scenes, I find the portrayal of such conflicted emotions quite challenging. Rachel grapples with a lot of confusion- she has to keep trying to figure out her own way of dealing with the emotional stress. The process of getting into her character has made me think a lot. In fact the entire puts you into places which you would normally not want to think about.”
This, it seems, is Wasaam’s intention. “There are so many unsaid things in relationships; boundaries which the couple will not cross,” he declares. “Why? ‘What If?’ attempts to open up new avenues of thinking; to explore unanswered questions which I’m sure would apply to many failed relationships.”
Presenting a spectrum of emotions which is as broad as the connotations suggested in the name Dark Light Productions (launched in August this year) ‘What If?’ promises to offer a refreshingly candid perspective on relationships.
“I’m confident that in watching it, several members of the audience are going to think, ‘hang on, this is familiar. Didn’t this happen to me too?’ or ‘What if I had acted differently when confronted with the same situation?” predicts Wasaam who in addition to directing the play, will take on the role of Matt- the male lead.
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