Women Playwrights International

When I told people at my university where I was going there was not much interest- women? playwrights? who cares. There were 80 women delegates from countries around the world and about 200 Indian women. Many of them were playwrights in addition to being attorneys and scientists. Probably everyone was an activist, some more than others. These women are playwrights and theater people so they can have a VOICE. Ever since I've been in Kabul I've been trying to promote theater as befits my title of Professor of English and Drama which is mostly meaningless but I still take it very seriously. Theater is even a great way to learn English - you get to use your whole body and not just language to express the idiom.

Every evening at the conference there were performances by groups from throughout Inda. One of the most brilliantly exquisite was by an Indian 'ballet' troupe from Hyderbad. The beautiful young girl in the photos is the youngest member. Her grandmother, Vasanth Kannabiran, a pioneer in the Indian women's rights movement and nominated in 2005 for the Alternative Nobel Peace Prize, wrote the play, Menaka, that forms the context for the dance.