A Second Birth

On Saturday my husband and I went to see a play called A Second Birth. I actually had no idea what it was about until I stared watching it, but it was actually really good! It was in a small theater downstairs in the HFAC. There were chairs all around the room facing the middle where there was a small circular stage. Only a handful of people were composed of the cast, and when they were no actively performing on the stage, they would sit on the ground and turn the stage so that it would circle around. I just loved how close and intimate the environment was for the play.

The play took place in Afghanistan and was about a girl who was a bacha posh. Bacha posh is girl who's parents dress up as a boy so that they can attend school, work, etc. and bring honor to the family. These girls who are dressed like boys learn how to fight, play soccer, and do things that boys do. The Bacha posh in the play reaches the age where she is starting to develop, and he parents are worried that she will be discovered (which could mean death), so her parents decide to arrange a marriage for her. She quickly has to learn how to cook, sew, and various other skills that a woman is expected to do. She certainly fights against this and feels that her freedoms are being taken away and that her life will confined where she will feel like a slave. There is however a fun twist to the play and how it ends.

I liked the play because it really makes you think about men's roles and women's roles and what really makes us different...or the same. I believe men and women are more the same than they are different, but that by having different roles can bring the potential to accomplishing great things as a couple, if used properly and with wisdom.