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Karachi Colours: OGS staging California Suite

By Moomal Shunaid

KARACHI: The Old Grammarians’ Society (OGS) have in the past entertained us with plays like ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’, Charley’s Aunt, ‘See How They Run’ and ‘What The Butler Saw’. They are staging a series of four play lets titled ‘California Suite’ by Neil Simon at the PACC from April 24 to April 30. These plays take place in the same suite in California where the only connecting link is the venue.

After an apology for the fifteen minute delay, Kamila Shamsie and Dr Mervyn Hosein open the show in ‘Visitor from New York’ perhaps the best known of these pieces, thanks to the film version of California Suite in which title roles were memorably played by Maggie Smith and Michael Caine. Bitter New York native Hannah and laid-back Californian Bill are reuniting after 9 years of divorce. The couple have come together to discuss the future of their daughter 17 year old Jenny who wants to live with her father.

Kamila Shamsie, authoress of Salt and Saffron and In the City By the Sea is outstanding in her first OGS play. Her ability to maintain a poker face while zinging out one liners and remarks that showed a very headstrong personality stole the show and had the audience laughing.

In the Second Act we are introduced to Millie and Marvin at a dramatic juncture in their semi happily married lives. Marvin Michaels played by Umer Rana from Philadelphia wakes in a Beverly Hills Hotel room in a state of panic. His brother Harry had got him drunk and rented him a hooker who is now lying unconscious in Marvin’s bed. Now Marvin’s morning is about to sour if he can’t keep the passed out prostitute out of sight of his visiting wife May, played by Maya Ismail. Faking everything from gastric pains to sexual excitement Umer had the audience in splits as he pranced around the stage trying in vain to keep his wife from entering the bedroom where the hooker is sleeping. Umer Rana is at his comic best while Maya seeming hesitant at first gains confidence and portrays the betrayed wife to the best of her abilities not to mention the droll voice she adopts which sometimes grate on the nerves. The third play let is ‘Visitors from London’ where Diana (Raaheen Mani) is shown awaiting the Academy Awards ceremony where she’s nominated for an acting award. Her ‘partner’ Sidney played by Kamal Jabbar, an antiques dealer is a wise cracking lover who may not be what he seems. After she loses the awards Sidney must share with Diana’s frustration and bitterness at the loss. Finally there are two friends Stu (Jawad Sarwana) and Mort (Umer Rana) who are vacationing with their wives in California. However, once Mort’s wife meets with an accident on the tennis court their peaceful rest turns into an all out war as the two men fight over tennis, hotel reservations and anything else that comes their way. There are moments of pathos and humour in all the Acts. It’s got laughter and tears. The secret of the success of Neil Simon’s plays is his ability to show us between, in and around the funny lines of pain, aspiration and sheer panic behind all the unforgettable characters. Time magazine wrote about Neil Simon that “If Broadway ever erects a monument to the patron saint of laughter, Neil Simon would have to be it”. ‘California Suite’ is a must see for the superb acting, slapstick humour and the hilarious comedy will make you forget the harsh realities of life for a while.

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