She is not self-effacing, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Nida Butt knows how difficult it is to direct theatre plays in a society where everyone is a critic. So she concentrates hard on putting up large-scale musicals, insightful comedies and an occasional tribute to the city she seems to be in love with: Karachi. Not only does Nida Butt know her job like the back of her hand, she also has a consuming passion for it. You go to her plays and you’ll nod in agreement.

Images on Sunday recently caught up with the director to pick her brain about her work and her ambitions.

What does the world of theatre mean to you?

There are three activities that bring people together in public spaces: religion, sports and my favourite, the arts. Stepping into the theatre world was initially a purely selfish act, without a desire to positively impact the greater community. Today, our tiny company contributes slightly to the cultural landscape of Karachi. The city has been a rough place these last few years, with more and more reasons to stay home and not step out.

A vibrant cultural scene is a form of release for the people, a tiny glimmer of hope and normalcy. Seeing the love pouring out from people towards us has led to a realisation that we have a social responsibility to the community and city we live in — to keep striving on and keep hope alive.

Theatre director Nida Butt says there’s still a long way to go before theatre can become part of a vibrant cultural scene

You are fond of musicals and, to a certain extent, comedies. What other genres inspire you?

Don’t forget horrors and thrillers. Made for Stage presented The Pillowman at the MAD School two years ago. Apart from musicals and comedies, this summer I saw Rodney King at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington DC. It was a one-man-show that simply blew me away. Gut wrenching, powerful but simultaneously educational — a piece of history that stands for so much. I have never seen theatre make such an impact without being preachy or overbearing, but this inspired me no end.

Theatre can be such a fantastic conversation starter. There are so many untold Pakistani stories of heroism which need to be brought to light. I have a feeling that one day, not too far ahead, we will be going down this route.

The fact that you do only English-language plays makes some people harbour the notion that it’s an elitist attitude. Do you agree?

Karachi the Musical, Pakistan’s first original musical, was a 100 per cent Urdu play and even won the prestigious PAS award. Having said that, our mission is to present quality theatre in Karachi and foster growth and development in the performing arts industry. We are least concerned about those whose only contribution to this country’s cultural scene is judgment and criticism.

Get up and do something, anything. Do a play, a festival, a concert — good or bad — do something instead of pointing fingers. Everyone’s a self-professed critic these days. Harkat mein barkat, remember that.

What about a lack of original scripts for stage productions? Do you intend to do any original scripts in the near future?

“The fact that we put our blood, sweat and tears into any art is a huge step. We do this without any support from the government, often working without pay for years. Theatre exists despite the crippling conditions we face, not because of the environment we work in. That is achievement enough. We need to start asking the right questions, and come from a place of understanding and knowledge.” — Nida Butt

The first step is to start asking the right questions, which doesn’t happen largely due to the lack of understanding of the theatre industry. We have one decent hall (Arts Council auditorium) serving a city of 20 million. We have one government-run arts education, Napa, training actors and musicians and we have zero institutes training writers for stage.

Let me say that again: zero training for writers for stage. Writers don’t fall from the sky, just like doctors and engineers aren’t born but made. Society needs to nurture and invest in these people.

To expect producers/directors to spend millions of rupees presenting shows with weak scripts by untrained amateur writers is simply ridiculous. The fact that we put our blood, sweat and tears into any art is a huge step. We do this without any support from the government, often working without pay for years.

Theatre exists despite the crippling conditions we face, not because of the environment we work in. That is achievement enough. We need to start asking the right questions, and come from a place of understanding and knowledge.

How would you define a good actor?

An actor who forgets himself and is immersed in the moment is generally hard to ignore. Drop inhibitions, remember to breathe, forget the audience, yourself and what you will have for dinner that night. It’s a process almost like meditation; and when the actor is being true, the audience is right there with you.

Which actors have impressed you and why?

The actor who impresses me is the one that grows the most. Who puts his head down, works his behind off, who gives it his time and effort and surprises me in the process. To name a few: Sharik (Doody in Grease) and Mustafa Changezi (Kenickie) who did not possess natural rhythm (dance) but still nailed those complicated dance routines. That’s impressive!

Ayesha Omar who got so much unnecessary flak from the media, but her performance only improved with each new day. That’s determination! One actress (who I will not name) despite being epileptic braved the stage night after night (and one night on morphine). That is inspiring.

These are the stories that stay with me, resonate with me. Of the ones who beat the odds and still shine through. Of course, there are the obvious culprits — talents like Faraz Lodhi, Sanam Saeed, Kiran Chaudry (Mamma Mia) and Ahmad Ali (Danny Zuko in Grease) who are always a delight to watch onstage and a great source of comfort and pride for any director.

Is the situation in Pakistan conducive to stage productions? How do you see the mushrooming of theatre groups and the emergence of institutions like Napa?

I touched on this inadvertently in an earlier question. The environment of Karachi and Pakistan in general is sorely crippling. We need more and better equipped theatres, more financial support, less taxation on art, more educational institutes breeding the next generation of artists and more technical expertise (set designers, lighting designers, sound designers). We need more hope!

These tiny production houses exist despite these hurdles as they are led by artistic directors who must be a little mad to keep at it. This is not an easy job to do.

Napa has a different narrative, as they are a government institute and probably face a different set of challenges. Regardless, we need more theatre and more educational institutes like Napa, MAD School and the likes.

The arts has the power to influence the way we think and feel about our own lives, and encourages us to take a hard look at ourselves, our values and our behaviour. It’s much needed in Pakistan, don’t you think?

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 24th, 2014