World Culture Festival: 'Circle Mirror Transformation' plunges theatre into hysterics

Annie Baker's legendary dramedy "Circle Mirror Transformation" plunged the house into hysterics on the 14th day of the World Culture Festival, firing on all artistic cylinders at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, in media partnership with Jang and Geo Group.

The English Language play, directed by Bonnie Jean Evans, is a touching exploration of vulnerability and human connection. It was presented by Spain's Blue Book Theater Company.

In a community centre’s six-week acting class, a quirky group — including a hippie, a former actress, a teenager, and a carpenter — engages in innocent theatre games that gradually unravel deeper emotional conflicts and personal realisations. 

The writer, who is a Pulitzer Prize winner, delves into the inner workings of acting, revealing the creative process that gives an actor the ability to access a wide range of emotions, that feel so vividly real on stage through intelligent storytelling.

"Circle Mirror Transformation celebrates the subtle and surprising power of creativity. According to The New York Times, it is absorbing, unblinking and sharply funny play.

A large audience thoroughly enjoyed the performance by the Spanish actors, applauding their stellar delivery and creative storytelling. 

The cast featured Marty (Sophie Heidicker and Erica Lauren Wise), Lauren (Hannah DiBella), Theresa (Sarah Helen Dillamore), Schultz (Christopher Kelly), and James (Alex Liu).

The 90-minute-long play was staged at ACP's Auditorium 1 on day 14th of the World Culture Festival. 

A day earlier, a comical murder-mystery, "Clue", kept an intrigued audience on edge with its strangling suspense, cutthroat pace, and bleeding-good playacting. 

Clue is a popular murder-mystery farce adapted from the 1985 film of the same title, which itself is based on the well-known board game.

The play brings the classic board game to life as six guests, each assigned an alias, are invited to a mysterious dinner party hosted by a blackmailer. Armed with weapons and a choice — pay double or kill the butler — the guests must unravel the identity of the blackmailer. The evening spirals into a fast-paced, comedic murder mystery filled with twists, laughter, and intrigue.

The 35-day festival features more than 450 artists from 40 different countries and will continue till November 2 at the ACP.

Geo and Jang group are the media partners of the ACP in the World Culture Festival. Tickets for the event can be easily obtained from the ACP and Ticketwala service.