CMH Medical College Lahore Dramatics Society. This article
is a bit different from what you’ve been reading on this space. It’s about my
experience with CMH Dramatics Society. My name is Shanzay Bilal, I’m in BDS final
year and I’m the current president of this society. University life is all
about making memories and for me a lot of them were made around my friends from
the Dramatics Society!
The way it began. A big part of my school life revolved
around being in co-curricular activities. Those are the times embedded deep in
my memory. My most fond memory is hosting our school’s annual night when I was
in grade 1. Sounds funny now that I think about it but that’s how it began! From
then on I’ve been a part of narrations, school plays, debates etc.
The Balancing Act. Joining med-school was such a challenge
but after coming to CMH balancing my studies and passions was my goal. I registered
myself for the dramatics society in the very first month when I heard about
weekly drama workshops being
conducted on campus. Each workshop had different activities planned to explore
the techniques
in classic theatre. The talented members of the society made us start
with vocal warm up, characterization and improvisation. The best part was
improvisation where you create something out of nothing, work your way around
ideas and become less critical of what you say in the moment; and that really helps
with confidence!
Lend me a Tenor. In April 2018, I auditioned for the play
Lend me a Tenor, a comedy by Ken Ludwig.
Got selected for the part of Julia,
a flamboyant personality that I resonated with so much! I was the only one to
get selected form junior years and that really gave me a boost and provided the
perfect opportunity to learn all about theater. It was my first time working
with a professional director, one of the finest in Lahore, Shah Fahad.
Meryl Streep said in an interview that she swam a mile a day to increase
her lung capacity and expand her voice for theatre. Well! Without any
dips we worked on our voice quality/loudness as there are no microphones
involved in theatre! We performed two days in a row after rehearsing for 3
weeks. The play was full of laughter and an elaborate dance sequence
choreographed by Gulshan Majeed.
After the play ended, I started preparing for my first professional exam a.k.a
‘prof’ and the hours at the college library kept mounting.
Hang of It.
The second play was my favorite. An Urdu adaptation of ‘The Play that Goes Wrong’
by Henry Lewis. It was directed by Ajoki
Theatre in February 2019 after rehearsals that lasted for a month. With a
cast of nine extremely talented seniors we made the crowd laugh throughout the
90 minutes. What’s ironic is that the play actually went a bit off the script
because a cast member forgot his lines but everyone thought it was part of the
plan! Managing studies was a bit difficult so after a month of rehearsing and
then performing, I got back to my books and aced the prof.
Growing Older. I became president of the society in 2020
along with Mudassir Chughtai. We
arranged workshops for the freshman year and took care of all the
administrative work. The process of auditions had already begun when the entire
world shut down because of Covid-19. This unpredictable year took a toll on
everyone and university experience was cut short for so many. But Mudassir and
I were very determined to put up a show whenever we got the chance!
Outside CMH.
The Colony is a space in Lahore for artists, which provides an insight into
their work and talents. Performing there was an enlightening experience. During
the pandemic when the lockdown lifted for a brief period I was asked by the
director of ‘Standalone Season2’ to perform
excerpts from The Bald Soprano and Fleabag. It was both a big opportunity,
and a wonderful experience! Being a part of the society gave me the confidence
to step out of my comfort zone and perform infront of complete strangers. Not
many medical colleges have an arts and dramatics society that can instill such
courage in their students.
Final year. Our college reopened in the March of 2021 with
strict Covid SOPs. As it was my last year I was determined to make the play
happen and so Mudassir and I
convinced the admin of conducting a play as an outlet for all the newcomers who
didn’t get a chance to expand their horizons.
The tragic comedy ‘Chand Din ke Mehman’ was extremely
complicated with 22 cast members, a revolving set and three consecutive days of
performance. For me, managing the play with my clinical rotation of OMFS was
the real challenge. It took me a few nervous breakdowns and even a trip to the
ER but it was all worth it in the end. I pushed my boundaries with this one and
sang on stage for the first time. The sad melody of Send in the Clowns added dimensions to the play.
Scores and sport. Med-school is scary but you are in charge of balancing your
studies and hobbies. Take out time for yourself to discover what’s important
for your mental health and personal development. Acting was my gateway to
self-expression, confidence and balancing scores and sport! Give yourself time
because your Guyton will always be
there on your shelf!
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