On February 11 at 7PM, I saw a performance that truly moved me. Roman Micevic’s Senior Directing Thesis of the play Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad was inspiring, heartbreaking, and beautifully done. I was not sure what the play would be like as I had not heard a synopsis or review by anyone but as soon as I walked into the theatre, I knew the play would be breathtaking. As the audience filed in and took their seats (which there were not enough of because of the large crowd), masked figures moved about slowly and intricately. The figures interacted subtly with each other and it was clear that the actors were very in sync.
There were four acts in Scorched: Nawal’s Fire, Childhood on Fire, Jannaane’s Fire, and Sarwane’s Fire. Each act put emphasis on certain characters and had a different emotional effect on the audience. The acts were all connected well and flowed smoothly into the next so that the audience could only guess when the next act was beginning.
“Nawal’s Fire” was a story of the beginnings of a family and a love story that was sad, but realistic. The play was clearly inspired by events that actually happen still today, which made the presentation that much more emotional for everyone involved. The first act was focused on the mother of the family that the play was about and her effects on the family. This act also introduced us to all of the main characters: Nawal and her children, Jannaane and Sarwane, as well as the notary of Nawal’s will who was a very silly character that added much comedic relief.
“Childhood on Fire” displayed Nawal’s journey through a war-torn country in the Middle East and it displayed the loss of innocence that many Middle Eastern children experience because of the violence of the wars. It also showed Nawal’s children’s lives and how they were in turn affected by Nawal’s childhood troubles. A main theme was the never-ending cycle of family tension.
“Jannaane’s Fire” was about Nawal’s daughter’s discover of Nawal’s past and hardships. This act revealed many shocking stories of Nawal’s past and explained the strain that Nawal had in raising her children. This act also brought out the tension between Jannaane and her brother Sarwane.
“Sarwane’s Fire” was the final act and it showed Sarwane’s realizations of his mother’s past and what his sister had discovered. The realizations changed Sarwane and resolved conflicts in the family that had existed for unexplained reasons.
The resolution of the play was horrific, but brilliant and overall the play was sad but realistic. Hopefully people that saw the play will see its message because Scorched revealed real world problems that have existed for a long time and are still around today. It would be great if everyone could see this amazing performance.
