When the fate of an entire nation lies on you, will you have the courage to take the risk? 'Queen of Hearts'  is one musical you don't want to miss

The musical by acclaimed playwright Shekinah Jacob, which will soon be performed in Chennai and Bengaluru is a historical account of Queen Esther with a contemporary twist
The entire cast and crew of the play includes 30 members
The entire cast and crew of the play includes 30 members

Trapped.

Her lifelong dream of becoming a pop star someday is so near. But she’s left with no choice but to give it up. She would soon marry the Emperor of Persia and become Queen. The women around her would gladly give everything up to take her place, but not Esther. She was trapped. 

Queen of Hearts, a musical by playwright Shekinah Jacob explores the journey of Queen Esther, the reluctant hero.

Queen Esther is recorded in several historical texts including the Bible and the Quran. She lived 4,000 years ago, but the political narrative hasn’t changed, sadly. We’re still talking about women inequality, racial discrimination, and abuse. It’s also a personal journey about someone who was thrust into a role, but finds her purpose in that

Shekinah Jacob, Owner at Open House Productions

Esther is caught up in a role she doesn’t want. But she soon realises her responsibility to save her race and steps up, to the extent of risking her life. In a way, that’s the message of the play. “There’s so much evil happening in the world and we think there’s nothing we can do just because we’re not the President of the United States. But the point is that everyone has the chance to sing their song and bring goodness to the forefront,” says the 38-year-old. 

Shekinah Jacob began her own theatre group called Open House Productions, mainly to combine her two loves- entertaining, thought-provoking theatre that also generates income for charitable causes.

What it takes is courage, Shekinah says, adding. “That’s what separates the thinkers from the doers. If you’re not afraid to lose your life, like Queen Esther, Gandhi or Martin Luther; unless you have that level of commitment, you can’t change the world. That’s the journey I have tried to explore in this play — her journey from fear to courage. And it’s something that resonates with every artist. There are so many artists who have been martyred for standing up for what they believe in and expressing it.”  

Real deal: Shekinah believes that Indian playwrights should come up with more original work

Shekinah, who has close to two decades of experience as a playwright believes that there is some good original work from India’s theatre industry, but that there’s little support for artists. “The atmosphere is not really conducive. While hiring a hall, your overheads cost so much that you can’t make it up in ticket sales,” she empathises.

My first tryst with writing was in school when I won a national short story writing competition. During my high school in Vellore, Ida Scudder school, I managed to write a musical for the annual play production, finding it easier to write one than to find an appropriate play in the library

Shekinah Jacob, Owner at Open House Productions

Shekinah herself has written several original plays. However, her most successful plays Long Way Home and Ali J have been performed on prestigious stages across the world. She now runs her own production house called Open House in Bengaluru. So what is it about being a playwright that drives her? She says, “It’s the sheer joy of moving people, making them laugh and cry, and hoping that those moments will push them to go out and do something. Not that the play changes the world, but that it changes the people who then go out and change the world.” 

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