Discussion Question on Urdu Theatre Readings

During the FRG meeting this week, we began discussing, and exploring, the connection between women's clothing (cloaking) of the body, and the space that a body occupies. Jameela Nishat's play, "Purdah" [curtain/veil] addresses these issues by calling the Islamic burqa a portable room, or closet, which immediately undermines the current construction of the burqa as a cloaking device that seeks to render femininity invisible in the public domain. The play suggests, however, that the burqa may render femininity invisible, but makes the female body highly visible, a "subject" of the male gaze. The one character who wears the burqa on the street, however, is the only one capable enough (brave enough?) to return the gaze, to give as good as she gets. The question we attempted to address in such a complex representation of the veiled body is: what does this particular character's response say about the assumptions that the veil is a manifestation of the patriarchal oppressive machinery?

Another interesting avenue opened up by the play is Nishat's (assumed) play with lighting and disembodied voices that question the necessity for veiling the female body. The written version of the play that we have provides very little stage direction. We are assuming that scene 3 (in which multiple, unidentified, voices make numerous statements about the impact of the veil on women's lives) takes place in total darkness, with little or no light. If that indeed is true, then is the stage transformed into the dark interior, presumably the inside of a burqa? What does that suggest about space, body, performance and voice in a feminist context? Is she suggesting that the cloaking of a female body is more than a religious issue?

Following is a link to a poem by Nishat, entitled "Wearing a Burqa", one that highlights some of the issues we've been addressing in our meetings and discussions. Since the play under discussion is not readily available, the poem should help launch some interesting discussions about the role of religion, culture and cloaks in women's lives. Even though the context of the poem (and the play) is quite specific--both are addressing an audience that presumably reads and understands Urdu, and is, thus, part of the North Indian Muslim population--the poem itself seems to transcend issues of translation and cultural specificity. Any comments, questions, suggestions about the material are welcome. Hopefully, we can launch a productive discussion around these issues.
http://india.poetryinternationalweb.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=10034&x=1

Notes from First Meeting of FRG

This term’s first Feminist Reading Group explored Urdu theatre as the first installment of our fall series, “Unheard Voices in Women’s Theatre.” Many thanks to Amber Riaz who not only selected our readings, but also provided valuable geographical, cultural, and political contexts for our discussion.

We began by exploring Jameela Nishat’s Purdah– investigating the text’s complex engagements with issues of voice, embodiment, and spaces of performance. We then connected these issues to the text’s representation of the burqa as a portable architecture that houses voice, body, and performance in multiple (and often resistive) ways.
We also discussed Rasheed Jahan’s Woman, and centred our discussion on the text’s querying of women’s property rights.

Please join us for our upcoming meetings. Each meeting will take place from 11:30-12:30 in UC 282, and all the readings are available in the Feminist Reading Group folder in Leanne’s office (UC 180).

November 12 – Native Canadian Theatre
Discussion led by Allison Hargreaves
Reading: Annie Mae’s Movement by Yvette Nolan, and “Writing About Anna Mae Pictou Aquash” by Devon Abbott Mihesuah.

December 3 – Harlem Renaissance Theatre
Discussion led by Ann Gagne
Reading: Rachel by Angelina Weld Grimké