Rahul Varma

Theatre

Teesri Duniya Theatre has a motto: “Change the world, one play at a time.” Playwright and activist, Rahul Varma, its current artistic director, co-founded the theatre in 1981. Originally intended as a place where South Asian Canadians could express themselves theatrically; since the early nineties, the theatre has become an important Montreal space for a wider politic. Its stock-in-trade are events that play out large and issues that get personal, such as the production of Jason Sherman’s Reading Hebron (2000), directed by Wajdi Mouawad, which debated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Varma’s most recent production, Truth and Treason (2009), used the Iraq war to discuss issues of terrorism and military intervention. His most successful play, Bhopal (2001), was named for the scarred Indian city and dramatized the world’s largest industrial accident and in 1995–96, Counter Offence (L'Affaire Farhadi) focused on spousal abuse in an immigrant family. To encourage community dialogue, the theatre company often holds after-play talks with audiences and invited speakers. (PF)