Spardha to take ‘Tobuo Jege Uthi’ to Chattogram, Sylhet and Rajshahi this month

Spardha: Independent Theatre Collective is taking its production “Tobuo Jege Uthi” beyond Dhaka for the first time, with performances scheduled in Chattogram, Sylhet and Rajshahi later this month and in September.

Directed by Mohsina Akter, the production will be staged at the Theatre Institute Chattogram on August 19, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet on August 28, and Rajshahi District Shilpakala Academy on September 4. Each performance will begin at 7pm.

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Before embarking on the tour, the production will have three performances at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka: at 5:30pm and 7:30pm on August 15, and at 7:30pm on August 16.

First staged in 2024, “Tobuo Jege Uthi” examines women’s everyday realities within structures shaped by gender, identity, power and patriarchy. It questions the roles, expectations and forms of control imposed by society, while tracing an individual’s struggle to reclaim her identity and sense of self.

The production emerged in the aftermath of Bangladesh’s 2024 mass uprising, drawing on the political and social questions that followed it.

According to the director, the work grew out of questions surrounding the place of women and people with marginalised gender identities within the hopes of change and equality that brought people to the streets.

But “Tobuo Jege Uthi” is not simply a story of disillusionment. It is also about breaking silence, asking difficult questions and finding the strength to rise again in the face of adversity.

The title draws inspiration from American poet Maya Angelou’s celebrated poem “Still I Rise”, which has also informed the production’s exploration of resilience and women’s struggle for selfhood, Mohsina the director of the play said.

Spardha: Independent Theatre Collective began its journey in 2018 and has developed a body of work engaging with social and political realities. “Tobuo Jege Uthi” followed productions including “Jibon O Rajnoitik Bastobota”, “4.48 Mantras”, “Bismoykor Shobkichu” and “Ami Birangona Bolchi”.