Director Sindu Singh on THE INVISIBLE HAND
Sindu Singh. PC: Dinesh Chandrasekhar
On the surface, The Invisible Hand is a thriller, with all the elements of high drama – a crisp plot that pits the exhilarating world of high finance against the ugly underbelly of terrorism, superbly-etched characters, sharp pacing, and an unrelenting underlying tension that grabs us by the throat at the very top of the play and doesn't loosen its grip until the lights go out on the final scene. All of which make it a rich, fascinating choice for a director. But beyond its value as an expertly crafted play by the Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar, the questions that are posed as the tale unravels are where the true appeal lies. They are part of a difficult and painful unsettling happening slowly as the gripping physical action unfolds. Questions that as the play progresses, overpower even the most suspense-ridden, nail-biting sequences – about divisions fostered by race, class, identity, idealism, greed, economic disparity, imperialism, and above all, about those human connections that somehow manage to transcend it all, even in the most unlikely, surreal circumstances.
We have striven for the past five years to bring to our audiences thoughtful works that highlight social justice themes with an eye to raising awareness and examination of the critical issues of our day. As the horrific tragedy in New Zealand reminds us, terrorism has no borders or religion. Its singular credo is hate and intolerance. Our only hope as we deal with the gut-wrenching aftermath is to continue to look for that which unites us and binds us.
My dear friend, activist and fellow actor Afroz Zain Algiers wrote this: 'I have family in NZ and the pain of the recent shootings hits close to home. I'm glad BADCo is dedicated to problematizing the broader structural issues in society that lead to things like hate crimes.' For me, there can be no greater validation of our work and our creative choices.
I am grateful to my Co-Artistic Director, Basab Pradhan, and my amazing cast and crew for their undying commitment to this production. It has been a deeply fulfilling creative journey together – one I won't soon forget.
– Sindu Singh