Bangla theatre stages Omanush

Bangla Theatre staged their sixth production "Omanush" at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on November 6.

Written and directed by Mamunur Rashid, the one-hour play was premiered in April.

The play, for the first time, unites two veteran artistes — Mamunur Rashid and Mita Chowdhury — on stage.

"Omanush" comes at a time when the society is passing through a critical juncture. Though it is set in mid-1990s, the play abruptly brings references from 1971 and aptly portrays the present dehumanizing condition of the society and politics.

It's a two-character play encircling the lives of aged married couple, threatened by the dire impacts of socio-political anomalies. Mamunur Rashid is seen as an ideal teacher, who keeps mum throughout the first half of the play. In the later part, he voices against the decaying morality of the society. 

"Omanush" was written in 1995, and the play broadly incorporates the philosophy of theatre of the absurd and magic realism.

Both Mita Chowdhury and Mamunur Rashid are theatre veterans, and their acting is of great stature. But in this particular play, Mita Chowdhury's character shines through brighter than her counterpart's.