Table of Contents Cover..………..…………………………….…………………………….….1 Table of Contents………………………………………………..….…......2 Introduction……………………………………………………………...….3 Play Description & Scene List………………...…...………………..…...4 Cast & Crew………………….………...……….……………………..…....5 Music Credits……………..……….………………………………..….…...6 Director’s Note …………………….………………………………….…...7 Set Design……………….………..……………………………………....8-9 Maps………………………….…………..……………………………...….10 Play’s Timeline………………………………………………………….….11 Wagah Border ……………………………..……….…………...………..12 Jatayu Context…………………..………..….…………………………..13 Playwright’s Note on Kashmir…………………………………………..14 Resource Introduction …………………………………………………..15 Kashmir Timeline………………………………………………………….16 Additional Resources…………………..……………………...………...17 Dedication…………………………………...…………..…………….…..18
How this project came to be… In the fall of 2018, while studying at the National Theatre Institute (NTI), Rahul Makwana wrote 5 pages for an “American Realism” exercise in his playwriting class. Upon leaving, jazzed up with the NTI vigor, he continued to work on the text, turning it into a full-length play. On April 20th, 2019, the first fully staged production of h.b. floating palace, directed by Sarah Rivers, opened in The Mug, an underground performance space at Vassar College. That same spring, Henery Wyand was honing his directorial skills at NTI. Seeing that it could benefit from a fresh perspective, Rahul and Henery decided to work on the play again the following year as their senior theses in Drama. Rahul would work on the script, incorporating everything he had learned from the first staging, and Henery would bring new life, feedback and interpretations to the text. In the fall of 2019, Sarah joined the team again as production manager. The team worked with professionals in the Drama Department to bring the play to life. For weeks, they met and worked on designs. Some of those visions can be found in this packet on pages 8 and 9. One week into spring break however, the spread of COVID-19 meant that an in-person live performance was no longer possible. While initially devastated at the loss of space and physical community that this play had promised, the team adapted. New questions needed to be tackled. Should the play be performed live? The cast and crew was scattered across different time zones, and had varying levels of access to the internet; a live performance wasn’t possible. Should the final product include video? The original play focused on space and intimacy; to try and capture this on video would be a disservice to the play, and posed the danger of crossing into the territory of film. Blessed with two brilliant sound designers, the crew decided instead to lean into the auditory experience of the show, adapting the show to one of theatre’s alternative dramatic traditions: the radio play. …A Note on this Packet While the shift to a radio play had become exciting, it also represented significant losses. This dramaturgical packet is intended to enhance the listener’s experience by providing a taste of what was lost by showcasing some of the work and design that transpired pre-coronavirus, giving the viewer a sense of what the live play would’ve looked like, while also allowing them to appreciate the ways in which it was adapted to a radio format. Furthermore, this packet also provides some cultural and historical context for the specific regions mentioned in the play. We hope you find it enjoyable and informative….
Play Description h.b floating palace is a meditation on the life of an elderly Indian couple—Sher and Puja—who, after spending twenty years in a suburban home in Massachusetts, suddenly find themselves living on a houseboat in the scenic Kashmir Valley in Northern India. Originally intended as a retirement, and an escape, Sher and Puja soon find that their new life in Kashmir does not free them from the past. As Sher searches for a missing childhood friend and Puja attempts to keep family disputes at bay, the play explores how two tragic events--the 1947 partition of India-Pakistan and the Kashmir conflict--continue to shape national identity and state formation in India today. h.b floating palace repeatedly blurs the fault lines between the past and the present, memory and imagination, personal and collective trauma, romance and suffering, nostalgia and tragedy, mapping the story of Sher and Puja's life onto the arbitrary border lines that have shaped India in the past seven decades.
ACT 1 SCENE 1: (PRESENT) h.b. floating palace, Kashmir, India SCENE 2: (PRESENT) h.b. floating palace (PAST) Rohan & Maya’s house, Andover, MA, USA SCENE 3: (PRESENT) h.b. floating palace (PAST) Andover, MA SCENE 4: (PRESENT) h.b. floating palace SCENE 5: (PRESENT) h.b. floating palace
ACT 2 SCENE 1: (PRESENT) Sher’s childhood home in Amritsar, Punjab, India SCENE 2: (PRESENT) Wagah Border, border between India and Pakistan SCENE 3: (PRESENT) Sher’s childhood home SCENE 4: (PRESENT) h.b. floating palace
Cast Sher - Rahul Makwana ‘20** Puja - Sara Shirodkar ‘21 Tara - Sana Zaidi ‘20 Maya - Taara Ram Mohan ‘23 Rohan - Aswin Aguinaga ‘23
Production Team Director - Henery Wyand ‘20** Production Manager - Sarah Rivers ‘20** Stage Manager - Miku Migita ‘21 Sound Designers - Ananya Suresh ‘21 & Shreya Suresh ‘21 Stage Directions Read By - Madhavi Jere ‘20 Poster Design - Timothy Nguyen ‘23 Playwright - Rahul Makwana ‘20** Faculty Advisor – Amanda Culp ’09
** Indicates a senior thesis in Drama
h.b. floating palace features clips from the following songs:
Breathe by Pink Floyd (1973) Pashmina sung by Amit Trivedi, lyrics by Swanand Kirkire, music by Amit Trivedi, from the film Fitoor (2016) Dil To Bachaa Hai ji sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, lyrics by Gulzar, from the film Ishqiya (2010) Hai Apna Dil To Awara sung by Hemant Kumar, with mouth organ by Rahul Dev Burman, from the film Solva Saal (1958) Mori Araj Suno sung by Tina Sani, produced by Rohail Hyatt with Coke Studio Sessions (2010)
Director’s Note In the frenzy of deciding what play I wanted to do for my senior project, I happened upon h.b. floating palace, while studying at the same place the play was born. I was excited to get to work on this because both Rahul and I have a shared language that we would get to uncover together throughout this process. In anticipation for the production, I was prepared to create a physical world, but as we all know that outcome has not come to fruition. We had to change gears from what we were comfortable exploring with our bodies to relying on the internet and our webcams. I struggled finding what was exciting in this new medium over Zoom and was finally able to ground myself in the soundscape, thus a radio play. One of the core elements we wanted to achieve in an actual staging was the intimacy. The separation of theatre and space releases and frees the audience, allowing them to find their own intimacy. The audience has agency with how they can interact with the piece. They can fully immerse themselves into the world or incorporate the piece into their world of living. A radio play is accessible to hearing people. People can mold their experience in their home based on how they want to receive the story, such as listening alone with headphones, in a group over a speaker, focusing all energy into it, or while doing the dishes. We can attest our understanding of storytelling to our ancestors and oral tradition. This production is a rethinking of oral tradition and how we can communicate, especially beyond generations. This play tells a universal story of the complicated generational relationships and the ways in which generational trauma and love is inherited. Many people can attest discovering a love to their grandparents and mine was art. When thinking about how the coronavirus will affect the future of theatre, there is no turning back to the normalcy of before. Theatre artists will have to embrace media in a new and radical way. Radio and audio plays are only the surface of what theatre can be. What are the different ways an audience can interact with their devices and theatrical text? What does it mean to have an interactive show online? How can you write “Zoom� theatre? How to retain community, a strong core to what many theatre artists strive to create, on a digital stage? Creating the community is now mainly up to the consumer and with how they engage with the performance and their fellow consumers. So many more people can have access to theatre now through their devices and it is now up to them to decide how they interact. Yes, a theatre-artist can guide that, but there is no longer the forced sharing of physical space. What productive ways can a virtual community support theatre? I hope this process has been a successful experiment of what the limits of theatre are. Henery Wyand
Set Design
Photo of the real H.B. Floating Palace on Dal Lake (H.B. stands for “House Boat”) Image from makemytrip.com
Conversational ¼’’ Model of the houseboat built by Paul O’Connor Photo Credit: Miku Migita
Photo Credit: Rebecca Rivers
Photo of the houseboat platform, in the Powerhouse Theatre
Scenic Rendering
Relevant Maps
Kaman Aman Setu - Friendship Bridge Image from kashmirlife.net
Map of locations Sher & Puja Travel in the Play, Base image from NY Times, edits by Sarah Rivers
Lahore is ~29km from Wagah Border Stadium, Amritsar is ~28km Map from Wikimedia Commons
Srinagar is 110km from Friendship Bridge, Islamabad is 171km Map from Wikimedia Commons
Timeline
Wagah Border
Lowering of the flags, Photo Credit: Swan Tours
India Side ft. Mohandas Gandhi Photo Credit: Swan Tours
“The Wagah border connects India and Pakistan, between Amritsar and Lahore. It lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the two countries. Wagah is known for its stunning border ceremony that is carried out at the border gate everyday, approximately 2 hours before sundown. The flag ceremony is carried out by forces on either side at the same time.” from www.HeenaTours.in
Pakistan Side ft. Muhammad Ali Jinnah Photo Credit: Jitesh Dang
Aerial view of the border, Photo Credit: News Feed HD, Aug 14, 2017
High kicks during ceremony Photo Credit: AFP News
Crowds at Wagah Border Photo Credit: Sevil Erkuş The Hurriyet Daily News
For videos of the ceremony go to youtube.com and search “Wagah Border Parade 2017 Independence Day Special Parade” or “Closing Ceremony at Pakistan-India Border on Independence Day Amid Kashmir Tensions”
Jatayu
“I used to play Jatayu in Ram lila plays back in Amritsar. Jatayu is that vulture who dies fighting Ravana while trying to save Sita. Ravana slices both his wings off with a sword.� -Sher Chromolithograph by R. Varma
Ravana slaughtering Jatayu the vulture, while an abducted Sita looks away in horror. photo credit: Wenjie Xie
photo credit: Wenjie Xie
Sher, in his Jatayu costume before he goes to Wagah Border to find Yusuf. (Photo from Spring 2019 staged production, costume by Amaesha Durazi)
Playwright’s Note on Kashmir So much has transpired in Kashmir in the last seven decades that a resolution to the oldest unresolved disagreement on the UN agenda seems inconceivable (Umar). Early on in the writing process, I realized that it would be a futile endeavor to attempt to create a work of art that claims to represent or explain the Kashmir conflict in all of its myriad intricacies and contradictions. As a Drama major who studies at an elite institution, my access to and knowledge about Kashmir are strictly bound by the perspective afforded by the realm of academia. My understanding is not burdened by the affective labor and the day-to-day ignominy, which result from occupation and radically shape the Kashmiri consciousness. Yet there is some insight to be gained from a scholarly approach to learning about the dispute. Over the course of this semester, I have sought out as many perspectives on the conflict as I could find, reading numerous articles, papers, books, films, photographs and poetry. This research aroused certain visceral sensations inside me, especially against militarization and mindless patriotism, and has fundamentally altered my faith in nationhood. I have come to view my own complicity toward and ignorance about the conflict in Kashmir as contributing to and perpetuating the status quo in India. Even after conducting significant research, there are many facets to the politics in Kashmir that I do not know. However, I am willing to read, learn, empathize and create more. My hope is that my work elevates itself from mere didacticism and evokes similar visceral feelings in the audience. Although h.b. floating palace is only my first project as a playwright. I still have a lot to learn about the craft of writing, and just having sincere intentions, working hard and being grounded in a framework of morality do not translate to a successful play. The artist needs to be imaginative and innovative in their use of craft as well.
Resource Introduction In the following three pages, our team has included resources and facts about Kashmir. This material is not exhaustive in any manner. But we hope that it provides relevant context and enhances your understanding of the conflict. The following quotes come from ““Kashmir’s Never-ending Conflict, a Timeline of 70 Years,” by Baba Umar. The timeline on the next page draws primarily from that article as well as the Oxford Islamic Studies Online (OISO) website. Citations and links to further resources can be found on page 17.
"The fate of the State of Jammu and Kashmir is ultimately to be decided by the people. The pledge we have given not only to people of Kashmir but also to the world. We will not and cannot back out of it." ~Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, November 2, 1947 This referendum never transpired.
“Since 1989, nearly 100,000 people, mostly civilians, have disappeared or been killed, many of them buried in unmarked mass graves.”
“Kashmir is the most militarized zone in the world.”
”The Kashmir dispute remains the oldest unresolved disagreement on the UN agenda.”
”Kashmiris are said to have not ruled their region since their king Yusuf Shah Chak was defeated in the 16th century by the Mughals.”
Kashmir Timeline 1846 – Treaty of Amritsar. The British Raj sells Kashmir to Gulab Singh, a Hindu King, establishing the ruling Dogras Dynasty. Under Dogra rule, Muslims suffer disproportionately.
1925 – British install Hari Singh (Gulab Singh’s great-grandson) as ruler. Oppression of Muslims continues.
1931 – Quit Kashmir Movement against Dogra rule gains popularity. 1947 – The British leave India, forcing all princely states to choose between Pakistan and India. Kashmir, still under Dogra rule, elects to remain independent. The state’s Muslim majority population riots, seeking assistance from Pakistan, while Hari Singh seeks support from India. The Indian Prime Minister intercedes, with the promise of an eventual referendum to determine who will control Jammu and Kashmir. This referendum never transpires.
1947-1948 – First War between India & Pakistan 1957 – India annexes Kashmir, giving it a “semi-autonomous” status which is slowly eroded. 1962 – War between India & China. India loses a part of Kashmir called Aksai Chin. 1965 – Second War between India and Pakistan which ends in a stalemate. 1971 – Third war between India and Pakistan. India helps East Pakistan separate from West Pakistan, forming what is now Bangladesh.
1987 – India is accused of rigging local elections in Kashmir in favor of Abdullah's National Conference party, triggering a colossal backlash.
1989 – An insurgency of Muslim militants, trained in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir force thousands of Kashmiri Pandits (upper-caste Hindus) from their homes in the valley. India dispatches ~600,000 soldiers to crush the uprising, making Kashmir the most militarized zone in the world.
1999 – The fourth war is fought between India and Pakistan in Kargil. US pressures Pakistan to pull back and the prime minister of Pakistan is ousted in a military coup. India claims it as a military victory.
2003 - India and Pakistan enter a ceasefire that is understood by some to consolidate India’s grip over Kashmir.
2010 - Demonstrations against New Delhi’s rule spurred by a series of shootings and gun battles instigated by Indian troops.
2019 - The Indian government revokes Kashmir’s special status, granted
under Article 370 of the Indian constitution, and re-designates Kashmir as a union territory to be governed by a lieutenant governor appointed by New Delhi. In anticipation of unrest, the Indian government institutes a systematic shutting off of communication within and access to the valley. The shutdown continues today.
Additional Resources about Kashmir Al Jazeera English. 2018. “The Kashmir Conflict, Explained,” June 27. BBC Channel 4. 2012. Kashmir’s Torture Trail. Bhan, Mona and Parvaiz Bukhari. 2017. “Inside Kashmir – A Heroic Fight for Justice,” Sapiens, May 25. Ghosh, Amitav. 2002. “’The Ghat of the Only World’: Agha Shahid Ali in Brooklyn’“ Postcolonial Studies 5(3): 311-323. Ghosh, Shrimoyee N. 2014. “The Kunan Poshpora Mass Rape Case: Notes from a Hearing,” Warscapes, September 9. Junaid, Mohamad. 2013. “Stone Wars,” Guernica, August 1. Junaid, Mohamad. 2019. “We, the water-born- a political history in thirty scenes,” Wande Magazine, February 12. Rai, Mridu. 2011. “Kashmir: The Pandit Question,” Interview by Azad Essa. Al Jazeera, August 1. Umar, Baba. 2017. “Kashmir’s Never-ending Conflict, a Timeline of 70 Years,” TRT World, October 27.