Portrait of a rapist

After proving to be a hit in Bengaluru, a dark play that deals with rape and how society perceives it, debuts in Mumbai this Friday

The cast of Extremities

Picture this: it's a normal day and you're going about your routine in the comfort of your home. Suddenly, a man breaks in and attempts to rape you. What do you do? Isn't this every woman's worst nightmare?

A play titled Extremities uses this premise to delve into how society views rape and violence. Written by American playwright William Mastrosimone and produced by Dreamscope Theatre, the play is set to debut in Mumbai after a successful six-year run in Bengaluru.

The plot involves a young woman, Marjorie (played by Dilshad Patel), who is attacked in her home by Raul (played by Shiv Patil). A struggle ensues, but she manages to overpower him and tie him up. Furious, she contemplates murdering him, when her roommates, Terry (Anoushka Gonsalves) and Patricia (Emeara Kambl), return home.

Emeara Kambl, Shiv Patil, Anoushka Gonsalves and Dilshad Patel

Patricia insists on letting the police do their job, but Terry, a rape victim herself, has no faith in the judicial system and believes the attacker will go scot-free as the rape never occurred. Although written in the 1980s, Goyal believes a play that deals with rape and violence is very relevant today.

"Women are taught to be docile, but, what if, in the process of the crime, the dynamic changes? What if the woman decides not to be the victim?" says Dhanlaxmi Goyal, the play's director. The idea, she adds, is to recreate a courtroom in Marjorie's living room.

Deeper into the plot, Raul successfully manipulates the women, getting them to turn on each other. "Raul is a classic case of evil. He charms the roommates and makes them feel sympathetic towards his plight, which leads them to

question whether Marjorie is telling the whole truth. He represents people who know how to beat the system," says Goyal. It's not simple to portray violence on stage; such that in the quest to make the scenario look as realistic as possible, the cast ends up suffering injuries during rehearsal.

"It's easy to fake it in front of a camera, but not before an audience. We use martial arts like ju-jitsu, as well as sound effects, to make it believable," shares Goyal. She recalls that at previous shows, audiences have rushed up during a violent scene to stop it from getting worse.

The play hopes to encourage a healthy conversation by giving young people an insight into the dilemmas revolving around rape, violence, and consent.

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