Safeer – The Acting Coach

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Safeer has over 23 years of theater experience. He has attended various training courses conducted by various Fulbright scholars in past 7 years. Among his theater teachers, he holds in high esteem Musadiq Sanwal, David Studwell, Kathleen Mulligan, and his Improv guru Jim Robinson. He was part of the team ‘This Stained Dawn’ (Dagh Dagh Ujala) that visited USA in 2015. He has performed in most Theatre Wallay productions including TartuffeGodot Ke Intezar MeinThis Stained Dawn (Dagh Dagh Ujala)Arturo Ui Youn Qabiq Hua, and The School for Wives.

He has vast experience in street theater. He has expertise in developing scripts, training new groups, and direction. He has been engaged by many national and international NGOs (including Catholic Relief Services, Coffee International, Bedari, SDPI, Islamic Relief, and The Asia Foundation) to train young theater artists and develop plays on various social issues including domestic violence, health, and hygiene, girls’ education, child marriages, and sexual harassment. Recently, he has written and directed two plays – ‘Majboor Hum Ko Mat Kaho’ for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and ‘Baat Karo Bhai Baat Karo’ for UNFPA Pakistan and the School of Leadership Foundation. The former was performed in Islamabad, and Peshawar, while the latter was performed in 10 districts across Pakistan.

He has recently been part of a TV play ‘Unko Chutti Na Mili’ in ‘Siyaah Series’. He played the lead role of a teacher who wants to save his students from evil forces. It was produced by IRK Films, and was aired on Green Entertainment.

His recent theater projects include ‘Akhri Salute’ ‘Akhri Salute (based on a story by the legendary Urdu writer Saadat Hassan Manto) in December 2020 for Theatre Wallay, and ‘Main Ne Kuch Nahi Kiya’ and ‘Sau Baras Ki Story’ for Swaang Theater. He has directed many plays for Theatre Wallay including ‘Bachay Hamaray Ehd Ke (children’s play)’, ‘Siasat@8PM’‘Aao Drama Dekhen’, and quite recently ‘Main Ne Kuch Nahi Keya’ – a play developed and performed by his students from the first batch of The Acting Class.

He is a leading Acting Coach in the Twin Cities. He has taught theater at various government and private institutions including the Rung School of Music and Arts, Pakistani National Council of the Arts, The Black Hole, Ahang Kada, and Theatre Wallay.

His documentary ‘A Tale of Two Marriages’ (developed for Bedari/ Commonwealth of Learning) has been translated into 4 languages and is screened for communities in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Mozambique, and Tanzania. It highlights the perils of child marriages and the significance of girls’ education.

He speaks English, Urdu, Pashto, and Punjabi fluently and understands Seraiki and Sindhi.

See also No Second Take

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