Kathmandu, June 6 -- The stage is dark. A man reaches out to embrace a woman. Still, just as their bodies seem to connect, she spins her hand away, first evading, then pointing a gun at his head. Her other hand gently strokes his cheek with tenderness, each repetition heightening the tension in a chilling theatricalisation of trauma's recursive nature.

The mechanical repetition of the scene functions as a Brechtian device, creating a distancing effect in theatre that prompts the audience to critically engage with the emotional themes of 'Manjira: The Muted Melody'. This production delves into the intricate relationships among justice, trauma, and power.

Directed by Som Nath Khanal, this Nepali adaptation of Ariel Dorfman's 'Death and th...