ANAND BRINGS ANAND TO VANCOUVER AUDIENCE
Veteran actress and seasoned director Yasmin Virani thrilled her audience last week with her performance in her own play "Anand" (bliss, peace, happiness) at Vancouver’s Roundhouse Centre.The play is not just a coming of age story of a young woman's personal journey into womanhood but also a raw and mature discussion of a love hidden from one's family and culture. According to Virani, this is a true story of a young Canadian girl who has to resolve her dilemma of being a Non-Resident Indian. She notes: “How do you be of two countries, one culture and a woman at the same time? With great difficulty.”
Anand is a story of love and loss and the cruelty of life. As a true testament to the story, the dialogue is harsh and sometimes coarse on the topics of sex, fear, courage and sorrow. "This is true Bollywood" said Virani. "Bollywood use to stand for high drama and this show definitely is."
In this semi-autobiographical one-woman show, Virani tells us her story of intimacy, vulnerability, and sexual self-discovery. Fabulous and fierce, philosophical and compassionate, Anand is a celebration of romantic love - Bollywood style. As Virani recounts her journey into womanhood, we learn that moving forward is ultimately about personal redemption. "Of course, we would marry cultural traditions with the unconventional content of this play because I want women and youth to understand that we do interweave ourselves as individuals into the lives of our families and cultures and the countries where we live. A personal journey often leaves us feeling alone but once you are through to the other side, you know that you always have people with you and you enrich their lives, as they do yours,” Virani says.
Virani has directed such plays as Woody Allen’s, God, and David Mammet’s Sexual Perversity in Chicago. She directed the hugely successful Buddies in Bad Times Theatre satire of Samuel Beckett’s existential comedy, Waiting For Godot entitled, Faiting Wor Godot. Born in Vancouver, but raised in Toronto, Virani began her acting career by completing three A Levels in Yorkshire, England, and garnered a bronze and gold medal from the London Academy of Dramatic Art. Later, she won third place at the Harrogate Drama Festival, followed by an award for her portrayal as Katherine in the Taming of the Shrew.
(Contributed)
posted by Yasmin at 1:35 PM
