The White Plague – Reflecting All Times

White Plague presents the contrasting ideologies of war-mongering dictators and empathetic healers, the current societal divides and the necessity for compassion and unity in today’s world

Theatre, a medium of art as old as time, still continues to serve as a powerful reflection of societal challenges, a fact evident from one of the recent theatrical productions being directed by award-winning filmmaker Meher Jaffri, called ‘The White Plague.’ Originally penned by the well-recognized Czech playwright Karel Capek in 1937, this timeless narrative has been masterfully adapted into a theatrical work and translated into Urdu by Bodhi Works, underscoring its universal relevance and enduring impact.

Set against the backdrop of war, disease and the enduring struggle for moral conscience, this the theatrical play, standing as a tribute to the indelible legacy of the artist Zia Mohyeddin, echoes the challenges of the current times. With the central characters in the play embodying the complexities of humanity, power, and compassion, the play presents the contrasting ideologies of war-mongering dictators and empathetic healers, the current societal divides and the necessity for compassion and unity in today’s world.

Speaking about what drew Meher Jaffri towards this project, she shared, “I remember reading about this play when I was 16 years old and I also performed on it in high school. Since then, it has always stuck with me. So, when COVID had happened in 2020, I felt the situation was somewhat similar to the theme of this play, even though it was written earlier. During COVID, masses had different opinions on what to do and what not to do. The play also explores the effects of a mysterious pandemic in everyday life of a common man and how everybody has a different opinion on what’s going on. Another thing that drew me to it was the prevailing situation in Gaza because I believe the play reflects whatever is happening around today. While essentially, it’s an anti-war play, it’s also about having a moral conscience to do the right thing in the face of difficult decisions.”

Blending humour and satire with a profound message in the play, Meher Jaffri aims to inspire audiences to take active roles in shaping a more just and compassionate world and realize that it is important to have the courage to overcome the feeling of hopelessness. Because in that courage and in that action of resisting against injustice, there’s a whole new world of impact that could happen. “Even just a sheer energy of putting your support behind something right is important. There might be times when things may seem hopeless, but that’s no excuse to be passive about what’s going on and about doing the right thing or speaking up against injustice. The world demands it right now. And there’s no excuse not to,” she emphasized.  

Meher Jaffri, as a director has diversified projects to her credit, but finds THE WHITE PLAGUE to be most rewarding work so far.