When I saw the movie adaptation of ‘Doubt: A Parable”, it left a lasting impression on me. I knew from that moment that Pakistanis needed to see the play, because the sensitive issues that were so beautifully and subtly touched upon in the play were so relavent in Pakistani society. The play could well have been about any school in Pakistan. The seed was planted then, and the tree bore fruit last weekend. 

Waswasa: Aik Kahani was performed at Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Auditorium in Islamabad on the 26th and 27th of July, and we were blown away by the response. Both shows were sold out, with over 400 people in attendance., and both shows received standing ovations.  The energy in the auditorium was electric. It’s as if the audience understood the weight of what we were trying to do, and they met us with their full hearts. 

Set in a Pakistani school, Waswasa dives into the murky waters of suspicion, power and belief. What makes it unique is not just its subject matter but the way it refuses to offer clear answers; inviting the audience to sit with their own doubts and discomfort. 

I am also proud to say that Waswasa is the first cotemporary Pulitzer Prize-winning play to be performed in Pakistan. I hope it paves the way for more bold, challenging and globally relevant stories to find a home on our local stage. 

I would like to thank the cast and crew who poured their time and soul into this production. Theatre is a difficult profession, but it is doubly difficult in a place like Pakistan where, actors have to rehearse late into the night after their day jobs. I am also grateful to Mr. John Patrick Shanley for entrusting us with his work. 

This was Chaand Nagar Theatre’s first proper production, and it was a smashing success. We look forward to a continuous flurry of such projects that will help evolve the theatre scene of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.