On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a two-act play by Wajahat Ali at the Durham Studio Theater at Berkeley University. The Domestic Crusaders centers around Ghafur, played by Adeel Ahmed, the youngest of three children in a Pakistani American family who have come together to celebrate his 21st birthday. It sounds benign, but quickly spins into a wild nuanced conflict, as the title suggests, when Ghafur brings news of his college plans to his father, played by Imran Javaid. I found the performance convincing and intimate. No stumbled lines. No Awkward pauses. No missed cues. If there were any errors in the delivery they were known only to the actors themselves. Admittedly, I am not much qualified to critique theater. The last time I saw a play was a high school field trip to the San Jose Repertory Theater. So, I'm no gauge of quality, but more experienced critics are saying this is on par with Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neil. I thought I would share my more amateur observations of the playwright's treatment of culture.
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