Rubayet Ahmed is a young playwright and director tagged with Dhaka Theatre. A graduate in Drama and Dramatics from Jahangirnagar University (JU), Rubayet went on to do his PhD in the same subject.

His directorial repertoire includes “Iti Potromita” and “Ashchorjo Shundor Ei Beche Thaka”, while he has adapted serious scripts like Camus' “The Outsider”.  In a recent conversation, the bright theatre activist talked about his journey and more. 

How did you begin as a theatre activist?

Rubayet: I liked theatre from my childhood, but became quite involved after coming to JU where I found my identity as a theatre actor. Later, I grew interest in writing. It happened because of my close contact with Selim Al Deen sir. I saw him writing and he is the greatest inspiration in my life.

What was it like to work with a man of Selim Al Deen's stature?

Rubayet: Sir used to be absent-minded while writing. Once we asked him how he wrote and sir replied, “It's a spark which eventually turns into a complete piece.” Also, he was an adept director. Sir would allow us to work freely and sometimes he used to guide us. He always preferred us to learn in the course of working instead of having a complete work plan beforehand. Sir preferred to work with ordinary things and had a soft corner for our traditional styles and elements.

What inspires you to write plays?

Rubayet: People and nature inspire me to write. Starting from mythical crisis to contemporary socio-political issues, my interest lies everywhere. When anything resonates within me, I feel an urge to write. My surroundings have a tremendous impact on me.

How would you evaluate the present theatre scenario?

Rubayet: Many plays are coming to stage and there are lots of theatre activists but the number of quality plays is minimal. We need to focus on ways of bringing the audience to the theatre instead of just bringing out productions. Also our theatre badly needs professionalism so a theatre artiste can earn a livelihood from it.

What are the qualities a writer must possess? 

Rubayet: A good writer has to be liberal and a freewill agent. Also a writer should keep their eyes and mind open so that they can perceive what's happening around. The thirst for becoming better is also a must.