1947 Partition of India & Pakistan Play Oct. 22 in Stow

The violent partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 is recalled through the eyes of its survivors in “Dagh Dagh Ujala: This Stained Dawn.” This lecture and short play will be performed by 12 actors from Pakistan on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., in the sanctuary of the First Parish Church of Stow & Acton (FPC), 353 Great Road, Stow (at the intersection of routes 117 and 62).

In August 1947, the British left India after nearly two centuries of colonial rule. At that point, conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India led to the division of India to create a new nation, Pakistan. What followed was the largest cross migration in the history of the world. Over 10 million people were displaced and over 1 million perished.

Drawing on interviews with survivors of the partition, Stow native Kathleen Mulligan and her husband David Studwell collaborated with Theatre Wallay in Islamabad, Pakistan, to create an original play. “This Stained Dawn” opened in Islamabad in April 2015 and is touring in Boston, MA, and Ithaca, NY, in October 2015. The 12 actors will speak as the “voices” of the survivors.

Ms. Mulligan is Associate Professor of Voice and Speech at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. She is an actress, vocal coach and a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. In 2010 she was awarded a Fulbright-Nehru grant to Kerala, India, for her project “Finding Women’s Voices,” focusing on the empowerment of women through voice. Ms. Mulligan is the recipient of a “World of Difference Award” from The International Alliance of Women and a “New Leader Group Award” from the Institute of International Education.

The program is sponsored by FPC’s Social Justice Committee. Funding for the project has been provided by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Ithaca College, and the Fulbright Specialist Program.

This presentation is free and open to the public. Donations will be gratefully accepted to help fund the U.S. presentations. FPC’s facilities are wheelchair accessible. For more information, visit www.thisstaineddawn.com.