Counter Offence provokes
thought on two issues

Play powerfully explores both spousal abuse and police racism

By Byron Toben

March 28, 2023

Teesri Duniya Theatre, whose motto is Change the world, one play at a time, is at it again with its pandemic-delayed production of Counter Offence. Originally set to go some two years ago, it has managed to re-assemble the original cast and present it at the Segal Centre.

I particularly enjoyed seeing Mr. Rosenstein back on the local live stage after his worldwide appearances as Kafka’s Ape for Infinitheatre.

Written by artistic director Rahul Varma, it does not dance around two main serious issues – those of wife abuse and police racism. However, director Murdoch Schon does use dance-like stage movements to enhance the relationship of the various characters.

Arash (Shapoor Farhadi) is prone to violence against his wife, Shazia (Amanda Silveira), while being himself abused by racist police officer Guy (Oliver Price). This creates problems for otherwise empathetic police superior Gilles (Howard Rosenstein), let alone immigrant rights activist Moolchand (Aladeen Tawfeek), social worker Clarinda (Sophie-Thérèse Stone-Richards) and Shazia relatives Shatiqa (Ambica Sharma) and Murad (Andrew Joseph Richardson). The talents of these actors of diversified backgrounds in combining a detailed text with physical theatre add richness to the experience.

I particularly enjoyed seeing Mr. Rosenstein back on the local live stage after his worldwide appearances as Kafka’s Ape for Infinitheatre.

The audience effectively constitutes a silent jury in the court case following Shapoor’s death.

Counter Offence continues at the Segal until April 2.

Images: Brooklyn Melnyk

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Byron Toben, a past president of The Montreal Press Club, has been WestmountMag.ca’s theatre reviewer since July 2015. Previously, he wrote for since terminated web sites Rover Arts and Charlebois Post, print weekly The Downtowner and print monthly The Senior Times. He also is an expert consultant on U.S. work permits for Canadians.