Uparwala: An adaptation of Ibsen's Pillars of the Society

Mamunur Rashid (2-R) and co-actors in the play Uparwala. PHOTO: STAR

Aranyak Natya Dal staged the premiere show of Uparwala, an adaptation of Ibsen's The Pillars of Society on May 14 at the National Theatre Stage.

In the opening scene of Uparwala, one finds Mirza Iskandar (Mamunur Rashid) at the height of his career. A rich, powerful and respected citizen of the community, he is held up as the model of an ideal husband and devoted father. In short, a worthy pillar of society.

Abdullah Hel Mahmud's adaptation has its flaws. One often finds fragmented stories. And if the adaptation is compared with the original, it is noticeable that many of the major events as well as characters -- Borhan Master, Swapna, Faria and Zafar -- are not adequately fleshed out. As a result the conflict between Mirza and Zafar, Borhan Master and Swapna and other are not clear. At the end of the play, a few of the conflicts of the play are unveiled when Mirza confesses to his evil acts.

As director of the play, Shah Alam Dulal's approach is realistic. The pace is uniform throughout the play. He has successfully handled the procession scene with sound effects and body language of the actors. However, more effort could have gone into the scene when Faria (Tamalika) and Zafar (Shah Alam Dulal) return.

Set designer Faiz Zahir's suggestive set goes well with the theme of Uparwala. Thandu Raihan's light design is appreciable, particularly his effect on the cyclorama in the scene of disaster and calamity.

The spontaneous comic performance of Tushar Khan as Kabirul Islam generated many laughs. Momena Chowdhury as Rebu, Dipak Suman as Borhan Master and Mitali as Swapna gave impressive performances.