Anosh Irani鈥檚 Bombay Black, Firehall Arts Centre, until Dec. 15. For details visit .
The customers may not touch the dancer.
It鈥檚 a necessary rule for Aspara, the dancer at the centre of Anosh Irani鈥檚 play Bombay Black.
A steady stream of clueless, aroused men pay to be seduced by Aspara鈥檚 artistry and tartistry so of course they must be barred from pawing at the object of their infatuation.
It鈥檚 a good rule. But it seems to extend past the customers to everyone on the planet except Aspara鈥檚听 exhausting mother, Padma.
Poetic, darkly funny and mythic, the play begins with Padma instructing her daughter on the finer points on using exotic dance to render the customer鈥檚 higher brain functions nonexistent.
After Aspara declines to take an evening walk with her mother and thank the sun for its service, Padma employs emotional tactics that may be recognizable to those familiar with mothers and/or guilt trips.
鈥淚f the sun doesn鈥檛 rise tomorrow, it will be your fault,鈥� she tells her. 鈥淭he whole world will be plunged into darkness because you are a selfish little bitch.鈥�
The life of the passive-aggressive mother and her aggressively passive daughter are upended by the entrance of a blind man.
He wants to be in Aspara鈥檚 presence and perhaps, he will reveal the real reason he鈥檚 there.
Director Rohit Chokhani first staged the 2006 play for the 2017 麻豆传媒映画Fringe Festival. Chokhani is once again in the director鈥檚 seat for what Firehall Arts Centre artistic producer Donna Spencer says should be a more fully-formed version of the play.
鈥淎t the Fringe you have to get in and out in 45 minutes,鈥� she says. 鈥淗ere, it鈥檚 really got a full lighting design, a full sound score.鈥�
Part of the aim of the Firehall is to provide a nurturing atmosphere for artists, Spencer says, explaining that instead of scraping together the cash to hire actors and rent a space, Chokhani can work with the theatre staff to ensure his 鈥渢echnical aspirations鈥� for the play are realized.
鈥淚t gives them, in terms of creating the work, less to worry about,鈥� she says.
Spencer was enthusiastic to help Chokhani bring the play to a wider audience.
The production will provide work for South Asian theatre artists, while helping Chokhani develop as a director and producer, Spencer says.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got a drive that should be encouraged,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was one of those: 鈥楢ll right, you want to do this. We have a theatre. We鈥檒l help you.鈥欌��
Bombay Black is replete with challenging subject matter. The drama delves into the challenges single mothers face while raising children in India, Spencer notes. The show also deals with the practice of children being: 鈥渂etrothed to others before they鈥檙e even thinking about things of love,鈥� she says.
鈥淚t is sad, but I think it鈥檚 kind of a love story, too.鈥�
It鈥檚 also somewhat timely, she says.
鈥淚 certainly don鈥檛 believe the problems are solved in India but there certainly is an awareness of young girls being bought for dowry . . . that鈥檚 much more on the radar than it was when Anosh (Irani) first wrote the work.鈥�
Now in her fourth decade with the Firehall, Spencer remains passionate about supporting theatre.
鈥淚 wish I could support more work,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n actual fact we can鈥檛 support a lot so we do the best we can.鈥�
She began what she thought would be a three-year stint with the Firehall in 1981, she recalls.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I ever aspired to run a large organization. It was more about how theatre could impact people鈥檚 lives,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always rewarding when somebody says, 鈥榊ou know, I saw a show here when I was in high school and that鈥檚 why I come now.鈥� And that actually has happened.鈥�
By its intimacy and uncertainty, theatre remains distinct and valuable.
鈥淲hen you go to the theatre you鈥檙e actually living the experience with the people that you鈥檙e seeing on stage,鈥� she says. 鈥淓veryone should try it.鈥�
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