Review: Vidushi Mehra Makes Her Directorial Debut With Death And The Maiden

Theatre artists Vidushi Mehra and Samar Sarila are back with another production together. Death and the Maiden is play that deals with issues such as rape , gender power play, sexual politics, a revenge story against a period of extreme dictatorship and power and justice. Talking about the play, Mehra says, "

Death and the maiden is also my directorial debut, we did 9 shows at an alternative venue called Shed9 at the Dhanmill compound in Mehrauli from the 1st of April -10th of April . It was every well received by the audience and press. We have now been offered three more shows from the 24-26th of May at a prestigious club in Gurgaon called The Quorum . This production has proven to be the most challenging till date in all forms from doing it at a venue outside of a conventional theatre , to raising funds through crowd sourcing initiatives , directing , producing and acting at the same time, a herculean task . A great unique learning experience for me to wear all three hats and to be dealing with ostensibly extremely difficult themes of the play that remain central and universal with the times we live in."

The play tells the story of raped, tortured during Pinochet's regime in Chile, Paulina Salas who now lives quietly with her husband Gerardo Escobar at their beach-villa north of Santiago, isolated from the world, from people. And it must have been her choice because she naturally still reeling from the wounds inflicted on her a few years ago. Paulina suffers from post-traumatic disorder, a condition her husband is finding more and more difficult to cope with.

Escobar has in the 15-year interim become the head of a Commission created to bring to light atrocities committed during the said regime. He is fast becoming the hope for a whole nation's suffering and for his wife. But for now, brushed under the carpet are the doubts, the fears and that often too misquoted idea of a man's place, role in society today. As the play opens a stranger visits them. His name is Roberto Miranda and he is there, a presence in their home. After having helped Escobar fix his car hours earlier, Miranda returns at a ghostly hour. Paulina recognizes his voice: her torturer, her rapist from 15 years ago. Paulina having lost faith in her husband to provide the justice she deems to be her natural birthright, she proceeds to torture Miranda. She requires a confession. But like any other acts of contrition will she be the given the satisfaction she thinks she so richly deserves by putting this man on trial in her own home?

Do check out the deeply intriguing play at Quorum, Gurgaon from 24-26th of May

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