Department of Psychology
In Collaboration with
Golpo Productions
Organized a play “Paper Walls”
On 7th February 2023
“Paper Walls” a play performed for the postgraduate students of psychology through a laudable collaboration between S.N.D.T.W.U Department of Psychology and Golpo Productions on 7th of February 2023. It was an enriching experience for the students as it made evocative points and conveyed a strong, lasting impact on its audience. The plot of the play revolved around the perpetuation of intergenerational sexual trauma as a mother and her daughter grapple with the heartbreaking reality of the abuses they suffered.
Paper walls is a short play of 80 mins, which is based on the director and writer Sharodiya Chowdhury, who explained that she has used the term ‘paperwalls’, because she wants to relate the impact of trauma affecting the human body in the same manner any damage to the paper affects its shape.
Intergenerational trauma refers to the transmission of traumatic experiences and their effects from one generation to the next. Healing from intergenerational sexual trauma requires addressing both the individual experiences of trauma and the larger societal and cultural factors that perpetuate it, which was beautifully in sync with the message of the play.
The play follows a young girl who is trying to keep the peace between her parents who are slowly drifting apart while also dealing with growing feelings for her friend. Unfortunately, amidst all this, she’s sexually abused by her boyfriend’s friend and discovers one in her mother who had also experienced a similar incident. The play ends with the mother coming to terms with her past trauma and thereby also relieving her daughter from the similar phantom pressure.
After the play, Clinical psychologist Tanvi Sardesai conducted some grounding techniques. These are strategies used to help individuals stay present in the moment and can be especially helpful for individuals who experience anxiety, panic, or traumatic flashbacks. The goal is to redirect one’s attention from overwhelming thoughts, feelings or sensations and to provide a sense of stability and calm.
This was followed by a short question answer and feedback round from the students. Students appreciated the script’s symbolism, their experience while watching it, as well as the performances of the actors who were able to accurately portray the topic with ease.
