Five years after its premiere at Nritya Forum, 'Skepticism' remains a notable example of experimental theatre challenging conventional storytelling in Indian performing arts.
Verdict
Skepticism is an ambitious debut that struggles with execution. While the production design and portrayal of insanity stand out, repetitive dialogue and wooden performances undermine its philosophical intentions. A well-intentioned effort that doesn’t quite land.
Rating: 2.5/5 | Watch if: You enjoy experimental theatre and philosophical narratives
“Skepticism” By The Unknown Pen
Venue: Nritya Forum For Performing Arts
Title: Skepticism
Writer & Director: Amaan Ahmad
Production: Unknown Pen & Nritya Forum
Plot:
An artist must often confront conflicting emotions. His or her identity is reflected through their work. Which emotion comes to the fore is the choice one has to make. If the artist is disturbed, the conflict is exacerbated.
Review:
Billed as a psychological and philosophical drama, flirting with absurdism, surrealism and scepticism, the play, Skepticism, is an honest effort that unfortunately doesn’t amount to much. Amaan Ahmad’s debut effort suffers from self-indulgent writing. With insipid dialogue that is repetitive, the playwright wasn’t able to hold my attention for the entirety of the play. His direction fared marginally better than his writing. Clearly, ‘production design’ is his strong suit, as the play failed to impress and falls flat in the performances.
His actors took on the onerous task of personifying emotions, a big ask even for seasoned actors. But, the debutants stuck to their task and unfortunately couldn’t add life or emotions to the play. Chaos (played Kedar) was orderly, Happiness (played by Arti) was dazed, Reality (played by Matthew) was plastic.
Special credit to the director must go for choosing to depict insanity through two actors, played by Ayaz and Vinaya. Credit as well to the actors for being in sync always. Insanity brought some much-needed energy onto the stage. Niteesh Pandey held the fort throughout the play as the troubled artist, wholly convincing in translating his inner turmoil.
The play’s end has an interesting question for the audience though. Does imagination lead reality or is reality imagination’s chaperone?
Rating: 1.5/5
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the play Skepticism by Amaan Ahmad about?
Skepticism is a psychological and philosophical drama that explores conflicting emotions experienced by an artist. The play uses absurdism and surrealism to depict an artist’s internal conflict and how different emotions like Chaos, Happiness, and Reality influence creative output.
Where was Skepticism play performed in India?
Skepticism premiered at Nritya Forum For Performing Arts. The production was a collaborative effort between The Unknown Pen and Nritya Forum, showcasing experimental theatre focused on exploring psychological themes through live performance.
Who directed and wrote Skepticism play?
Amaan Ahmad served as both writer and director for Skepticism in his debut theatrical effort. The play was produced collaboratively by The Unknown Pen theatre collective and Nritya Forum For Performing Arts.
What was the cast of Skepticism play?
The cast included Niteesh Pandey as the troubled artist, with actors Kedar, Arti, and Matthew personifying emotions like Chaos, Happiness, and Reality. Ayaz and Vinaya portrayed insanity, bringing notable energy to the production.
What did critics say about Skepticism’s production design?
Production design was highlighted as the play’s strongest element. The visual direction effectively complemented the experimental nature of the production, even though dialogue and performances fell short of the ambitious creative vision.
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