A trip into human psyche

Revealing Complexities

Directed by Prakash Belawadi and comprising an all-women cast, ‘Necessary Targets’ was the tale of five women in a refugee camp trying to cope with the changes of war, waiting to be sent back ‘home’.

The play also included two other characters, a trained psychiatrist determined to understand the atrocities faced by these women and a young counsellor set out to write a book on ‘women in war’.

The colourful characters, be it the deranged Sayeeda or the troubled young councillor, Melissa struck a chord with the audience, who were drawn to the complexities of each character.

The play asked many intriguing questions about the human psyche.
It highlighted the need for human beings to feel secure at all times, resulting sometimes in the alienation of an entire community.

It asked the fundamental question as to why people who were neighbours for years took up arms against each other and inflicted the other with unimaginable cruelty.

Maggy Jacqmin and Sharanya Ramprakash, who played the psychiatrist and the councillor respectively require special mention for showcasing the conflicting
attitudes of the two characters. The play ended with the psychiatrist truly grasping the horrors faced by the women in the refugee camp and deciding to stay on, in the camp and Melissa, the councillor, setting out to yet another war torn land, unable to face her inner demons.

It spoke of how each one of us chose to react to a situation. Competent set design and brilliant lighting made ‘Necessary Targets’, a worthwhile watch. Prakash Belawadi, elaborating on the play said, “ This play is about displaced people. People who are rendered homeless. In this case war being the reason. It is an expression of pain, failure and guilt.”

Satyasree, a member of the audience appreciating the play, said, “It was truly wonderful and had a wonderful message. To be able to help someone, you need to be with that person and at least take in some of what they have experienced was brought out brilliantly in the play.” The play will be shown at Ranga Shankara on April 30 and May 1 too.