Zard Patton Ka Bann (ZPKB) is an original theater piece that explores how we celebrate and reclaim public places – schools, squares, mosques, parks — spaces intended for learning, leisure and worship, which have also been targeted as venues for terror in the recent past. It gives vent to people’s feelings of suffocation, fear, and their yearning for creating new and reclaiming existing public spaces.
It is Theatre Wallay’s journey from being displaced as it had no venue to perform, and finally finding a space for itself in Islamabad where it could hold its own events – reading and recitation sessions, training workshops, theater performances etc. However, it is not only a personal journey of a theater group, but it weaves into this personal story the happenings and events of the recent years of Pakistan in such an intelligent and artistic way that it becomes a story of every Pakistani.
It was made possible through collaborative efforts of Theatre Wallay, Ithaca College (theater department), Artists Repertory Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. (Know more about the US tour here and here)
Originally, the play was conceived in English, and was titled ‘On Common Ground’. The English version was performed in USA – Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Artists Repertory Theater – in June and July of 2017. Three American supporters played instrumental role in making it happen. Linda Alper led writing workshops through which content for the English play was generated, and devised and structured the final script for performance. David Studwell directed the English version of the play. The play was co-produced by Linda Alpers (Artists Repertory Theatre; Oregon Shakespeare Festical), and Kathleen Mulligan (ithaca College Department of Theatre Arts).
Later, the group translated, and localized it for Pakistani audiences, and performed in Islamabad in the last week of January 2018. The play will also be performed in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar in the spring of 2018.
Cast Members: (for both Enlighs and Urdu versions) Ammar Khalid, Fizza Hasan, Zainab Hasan, Rabia Pasha, Muhammad Usman Khan, Imran Iftikhar, Shahzaib Wahlah, Amna Mawaz Khan, Razia Abrar, Atif Siddique, and Omer Ahmed Khan, Haseeb Chishti
Crew Members: Ikran Ullah Khan, Mustafa Hasan, Arsalan Barijo, Rachel Canter
Sitar player: Wajih Nizami, Tabla player: Irfan Masih, Stage Manager: Kazim Hussain
Direction (Urdu Version): Fizza Hasan
Media Coverage
Theater Review: Zard Patton Ka Bann by Theatre Wallay
Of two plays (The News on Sunday, Apr 22, 2018)
Resilient people and public spaces (Dawn – Apr 09, 2018)
Land of yellowing leaves (The Friday Times – Apr 06, 2018)
‘Theatre Wallay’ bring original play in town (The News – Jan 26, 2018)
‘Common Ground’ is Found Between the USA and Pakistan (WSKG – Nov 6, 2017)
Join Us For The International Collaboration of On Common Ground!