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Written By Rashid Jahan 

Adapted and Directed By Hassan Shah

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SUNDAY, APRIL 5th, 7:30PM PT

 

Parde Ke Peeche was first published in 1932 in an anthology titled Angaarey, in which Rashid Jahan collaborated with other intelligent and progressive-minded writers who wanted to make a difference. Rashid Jahan, herself, was an educated, liberal woman who dared to speak up against the injustices that she witnessed around her. Please note that the content of this play is traumatic and is not advisable for audience members under the age of 18, or anyone who does not wish to interact with heavy content at this time.

 

CAST

Rita Bhatia plays "Mohammadi-begum"

"This was a very interesting part to read since Mohammadi Begum was a very complex and multi-layered character and required me to delve deep into her psyche. It is to my director, Hassan’s, credit, if I was able to justifiably portray her with conviction and sensitivity."

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Rita is a passionate theatre enthusiast and is keenly interested in all aspects of this wonderful art form. As an actor, she has essayed many roles and directed and performed in several staged play readings as well as donned multiple hats as part of production crew. When not involved in theatre related activities Rita can often be found playing Bridge, painting and training in Hindustani classical music and has participated in various music performances and poetry readings in the Bay Area and around the world .

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Divya Balu plays "Aftab-begum"

"There were a lot of firsts for me in this reading. It was my first introduction to Rashid Jahan, a strong woman who pushed gender stereotypes way before our times. It was my first foray in to the virtual world of performance and how to use a simple square box on my screen to convey so much emotion. And it was the first time I humbly realized that no matter how much I tried to understand my character, there was still so much left to explore and discover. What an enriching experience!"

 

Divya has always been fascinated with the performing arts. She fondly remembers her days learning classic Indian dance in Chennai, India and was excited to recently discover theatre as another medium of expression. Divya appreciates the abhinaya (art of expression) aspect of performance and the orchestrated interplay between characters on stage. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, dabbling in cooking and planning her next vacation.

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Havish Ravipati plays "The boy"

"Participating in the Behind This Veil read was a fun experience for me. It was a deep insightful play and I got to work with a great cast & director!"

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Havish Ravipati is an actor/writer who has appeared in many stage productions, short films and voiceovers. He’s always looking for new creative opportunities.

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Malavika Jayasimha plays "Girl"

"One week into quarantine and I was getting to play a character in the virtual space - how exciting! It was a joy reconnecting with my friends doing theater over zoom and I enjoyed working with Hassan as the director - I had not worked with him before. "

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Malavika is a software professional and a theater enthusiast. She is also a trained classical (Bharatanatyam) dancer and has worked in plays with Bay Area Drama Company, Naatak and an independent feature film.

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Anju Prakash plays "Kolan"

"I am really excited to be in my first zoom play reading with Cloud Playhouse. Thank you for the opportunity!"

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Anju Prakash has performed in multiple mainstage plays and readings with South Asian drama companies in the Bay Area. Favorite roles include Dolon in Mahesh Elkunchwar's Sonata, Saroja Kunigal in Girish Karnad's Boiled Beans on Toast, and Miss Clubs in Tagore's The Kingdom of Cards. Anju is a full-time technical writer by profession.

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Devika Garg plays "First maid" 

Devika Garg has many talents including singing and acting. She debuted in the Bay Area with Bay Area Drama Company's "Boiled Beans on Toast". She is very excited to be a part of Cloud Playhouse's virtual theater space and looks forward to more such opportunities.

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Hassan Shah - the Director's cut

"The joy I got from directing Behind the Veil was completely unparalleled. Not only was it my first time directing ever, but it also allowed me the opportunity to learn more about the author of the play (Rashid Jahan). I will hopefully be back at doing this again very soon!"

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To write about Hassan Shah and not mention his love for movies would be, essentially, not writing about Hassan Shah at all. He likes to often times escape inside the world of a film, but when not doing so, can be found reading, enjoying live theatre, spending time with his friends, or reminiscing over the years he spent in Lahore.

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