An exploration of feminist utopia through letters from jail 

Firefly Women, an interactive physical theatre piece that explores ideas of feminist utopia, will be showcased at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC), Domlur on January 11, at 7 p.m. 

Firefly Women, an interactive physical theatre piece that explores ideas of feminist utopia, will be showcased at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC), Domlur on January 11, at 7 p.m. 

Directed by Manjari Kaul, the play is set against the backdrop of letters written from jail by three Indian women incarcerated under a draconian law and Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s story Sultana’s Dream. In their letters to their friends, lovers and comrades, the women write about their memories of cold winter nights at protest sites, learning lessons on resilience from their fellow inmates, the numbing monotony of prison life, keeping hope alive and the need to keep the work for a feminist revolution going. 

Speaking to The Hindu, Manjari Kaul said that play projects writing letters as an act of hoping and holding on to each other. “The play is based on letters and poems written by Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Gulfisha Fatima who were charged under UAPA who were involved in anti-CAA/NRC protests. Out of them, two are out on bail and one is still in jail for over three years now. Rather than an enactment, this play is a response to the letters. The audience is encouraged to imagine these worlds and what the meaning of feminist utopia could be making this an interactive piece.”

“The central idea explored in Firefly Women is that of an intersectional feminist revolution that focuses on hope and courage to fight a long battle through the dark times we live in. It offers a vision of a future that riles against an imposed forgetfulness and moral amnesia. We thread a way forward through solidarity and caregiving. The act of writing letters, I argue through this work, is an act of hoping and holding each other, an act of remembering in these dark times, an act of resistance in itself,” said Manjari. 

Manjari is accompanied by Priiya Prethora on stage, supported by Neel Chaudhuri’s sound design and Nisha Abdulla’s dramaturgy. Costumes are designed by Sandhya Raman, tailored by Tilak Singh, Pawan, and Ajit Singh. With puppets made by Shobhit Tandon, set by Jaan Mohammad, the production is managed by Kiran.  

Entry for the play is free on a first come first served basis on RSVP and availability.