Teach Me to Cry

Teach Me to Cry
Written and directed by Mohammed Hashem. Owl and the Pussycat, Richmond, Melbourne. May 8 – 19, 2012.

Writer/performer Mohammed Hashem has spent over two years in Egypt working as a journalist and his insight into the Arab Spring uprisings is what attracted me to Teach Me to Cry. His three male characters (played by 5pound theatre founding member Giuseppe Mauceri, Will Freeman, and Hashem himself) appear on the stage in some ways haunted, desperate to communicate, and there is a sense of fear for what lies outside the door for them. It is a challenging play for audiences, with no plot or even names for its characters, who direct their frustrations and fears at the audience as much as each other. Hashem labels the play as an absurd one, and there are shades of the most celebrated of absurd plays, Waiting for Godot, in his work here. In a play like this, the quality of the writing, acting and atmosphere that is evoked is crucial.

As they moved about the stage, directing their rage and frustration at the audience as well as each other, I found myself wanting to close my eyes and just listen to the words, many of which were beautiful. It was at times uncomfortable when the actors made eye contact with me, as if I was part of their story. Perhaps this was the intention - to make me feel uncomfortable. But I felt the play should give me a better understanding of who these men are and what they're experiencing.

I was attracted to the play knowing it was inspired by the Arab Spring / Egyptian Revolution. Admittedly, I came to the play with a scant understanding of that part of history even though I'd read about the uprisings in the newspapers at the time. I still feel I have little understanding of the Arab Spring after seeing this play. It doesn't have to be a history lesson, but I wonder how much differently I would view the play if I was part of that world, if I understood the context a lot better.

Sara Bannister

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