6 – 8 pm
If you stammer, you should bring your circle of influence or ‘the circle that influences you’ to this show! Family, friends, colleagues, boss…It will help them get a good understanding of what is stammering, why it happens, what happens (thoughts, feelings) when we stammer, personal stories of growing up with a stammer. It will be a great way to break the ice if you haven’t told your colleagues that you stammer yet or talked about stammering with your parents/friends yet. Just say “Hey, I heard about this play tonight..seems interesting. Want to go?” This is a great chance to show your close ones that there are more people who stammer in the world/India – you’re not alone!
During May 2016, eight stammerers in Pune gathered together to participate in a theatre writing workshop titled “Places of Pilgrimage.” Blog post: http://t-tisa.blogspot.in/2016/02/theater-writing-workshop-for-people-who.html#more. This performance, People who Buffer, is the result!
Originally designed by American playwright Heather Raffo, this workshop aims to elicit first-person stories centering around the question, “Who are you in your own words?”
Speak: Stammering Foundation, in collaboration with fellow non-profit organization the Indian Stammering Association, conducted this workshop for adults who stammer in Pune with the mission of elevating underrepresented voices to express themselves in new and creative ways. Participants met with workshop facilitator, Noura Embabi, a speech-language pathologist from New York, for 10 sessions at the Vikhe Patil Memorial School. The workshop challenged participants to explore personal narratives through theatre writing in the form of monologues. Writing prompts centered on such themes as journey, belonging, identity, and dreams.
By the end of the workshop, participants had produced eight narratives composed of personal stories, poetry, dialogue, and fictional vignettes, all of which have been compiled into a single play. This play, titled “People who Buffer,” is a medium by which the stories of stammerers can be shared with society, allowing the creative process to culminate in an act of self-expression and self-advocacy.
“People who Buffer” is directed by Saggherr Loadhii from Pune-based theatre group Aakanksha Rangbhoomi and will be performed collaboratively by professional actors and workshop participants. The workshop and performance were curated by Dr. Ajay Joshi, journalist and theatre critic based in Pune.
The play will be performed twice – Saturday, June 25th and Sunday, June 26th – from 6-8 pm at Sudarshan Hall, Shaniwar Peth.
Facebook Event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/997136873733294/
