Proof- Napa actors collaborate with American director for Urdu adaptation of the Broadway play

KARACHI: Taken to stage during the ongoing International Theatre Festival by the National Academy of performing arts is the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by American playwright David Auburn. Earning the Tony Award for best play in 2001 and turned into a film a few years later, ‘Proof’, which continues to be performed around the world since then, now sees its latest interpretation in Urdu.

Among Napa’s foreign collaborations for the sixth edition of the annual theatre festival, the local production of the play that made its debut in Broadway witnesses Laquetta Carpenter working as a director with the academy graduates.

A teacher of theatre and dance at the University of Texas, Austin, Carpenter who describes the experience of directing the Urdu translation of the popular American play as ‘a challenge at first’, also adds it became easier because of the appropriate expressions and actions accomplished by the Napa actors during the rehearsals of the play.

Appreciative of Napa’s annual initiative and all praises for its acting talent, Carpenter is delighted to collaborate with the young cast from the academy again who has previously worked with local director and actors on the production of ‘The Charmed Ring’ for one of the earlier editions of the festival.

A passionate story exploring the notion of insanity and genius through a father-daughter relationship, ‘Proof’ is set in Chicago and revolves around Catherine, the twenty-something daughter of an esteemed mathematician, who has just laid her father to rest. Featuring Shabana Hassan, Kashif Hussain, Sonia Ashraf and Owais Mangalwala, the Urdu adaptation of ‘Proof’ directed by Laquetta Carpenter staged this Friday during Napa’s 6th International theatre and music festival. Showcasing a line up of 24 performances and collaborations with Nepal, England and Italy yet to come, the annual fest is to end on April 2nd, 2017.