Theatre troupe Tarua staged a two-hour drama, Let Me Out, this Saturday and Sunday evening at Mohila Shomiti Auditorium. The drama, listed Clint Eastwood’s 2008 movie, Changeling, as an inspiration, along with two books (The Road Out of Hell, by Anthony Flacco, and Nothing is Strange with You, by James Jeffrey Paul) written on the same true events. The story follows Christine Collins through her ordeals with the Los Angeles Police Department, much like Angelina Jolie starrer, which begs the obvious question- where does inspiration end, and adaptation begin?
After a little chat with one of the actors of Let Me Out, Shakkho Shahid, I came to learn that the drama didn’t use the adaptation credit, as it was based on real life events. The film wasn’t their only source of information, and they had created a few characters themselves. However, he did say the drama has 60% similarity with the movie.
The playwright, Runa Kanchan, who is also the lead of the drama, said: “With due politeness, I would like to state that I had taken some dialogue, and scene from Changeling, without any change, which creates the basic structure of the play, Let Me Out.”
This debate aside, the drama received positive reviews on its first few shows. Notable intellectuals like Dr Kamal Hossain, Shahidul Alam, Rehnuma Ahmed, Junaid Saki, Geetiara Safya Chowdhury, and so on, filled the front rows of the auditorium. The tickets ranged from Taka 100-1000 depending on the distance from the stage. On the 5th show, I was given a balcony seat where an oversized railing blocked a significant part of the view.
The story of Changeling and Let Me Out begins in 1928, when the LAPD formed a special force, the Gun Squad, that was responsible for many extra-judicial killings. In the midst of such turbulent times, Mrs. Collins comes home one day from work to find that her son is missing. LAPD brings her a different boy claiming it is her son, and that she must be mentally ill to think he is an imposter. For years, Mrs. Collins fought the LAPD against all odds, never giving up the search for her missing son.
According to the director of the play, Bakar Bakul, this story of corruption in the administration, and the helplessness of the people transcends time. “What happened in Los Angeles in 1928 is not just history,” he said. “The past is still very much present.”
Runa Kanchan gave an emotional performance, as Christine Collins, in Let Me Out. The story was mostly well communicated. There were live music performers on one side of the stage. They performed Sign Of The Times by Harry Styles, Precious Child by Karen Taylor-Good, and Why Not Me by Enrique Iglesias. Some dance numbers were also introduced in the drama, which made it stand out from the film. There were also some deviations in scene sequences. The drama ends on a depressing note, while the film ends with hope.
Adaptation or not, this drama may be viewed as a humble substitute to the famous film, Changeling, which received wide critical acclaim, as well as multiple nods at the Oscars, the Golden Globes, Cannes Film Festival, and so on.
