Years 9 and 11 Pao drama students were fortunate to have the opportunity to see Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning play 'Disgraced' on campus this spring. Set in contemporary New York City, the play tells the story of an ambitious South Asian lawyer grappling with uncomfortable truths about himself, his situation, and his viewpoints. The play asks tough questions about religious faith, the relationships between white and non-white races in the United States, and what it means to create art.
'The performance helped to highlight Pao School's mission of fostering an international perspective, as it provided students with the opportunity to further their understanding of different cultures,' says Jo Richardson, Pao School's Head of Drama.
Further, the play 'also helped us to find ways of discussing what can be seen as fractious and complex issues through the presentation of its multifaceted characters', she says. 'The emotional depth of the roles and actors meant that students were able to question the thoughts and actions of the characters within the piece. The performance provoked thought rather than answered any questions'.
'The play has a strong recurring theme about the nature of society, which makes it easy to follow and get involved in,' says Year 11 student Cecilia. 'From a literary perspective, the play fulfils its purpose of challenging audiences who are confident and comfortable with their community; it questions their beliefs and how they see themselves'.
'The actors and actresses were extremely professional', says Year 9 student Bill. Speaking of characters in the play, he says, 'I was surprised at how Emily reacted to Amir’s racism, how Emily responded to Abe’s complaints and how Jory used humour to build up a particular mood. It was all so natural.'
Cecilia agrees the performance was exceptional. 'We were truly engaged in the play and felt ourselves right next to the characters', she says.
She adds: 'It was very interesting during the Q&A session how the student body began to ask the cast members what they thought of today's socio-political atmosphere, as if they really were the characters in the play. Previously, no other theatrical performance in YK Pao School had achieved this level of student involvement and enthusiasm'.
'Disgraced', Cecilia concludes, 'has set the bar very high indeed for future theatrical performances at Pao School'.
