Ummay Somaiya
Assistant Professor
Ummay Somaiya joined as a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at University of Dhaka in 2019 and is still serving. Prior to this, she was working as a part-time teacher in the department from 2018 to 2019. She earned her BA and MA with 1st class and 1st position from the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. While studying in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, she was awarded the ‘Deans Award’ by the Faculty of Arts, University of Dhaka in 2018 for his outstanding academic achievements, and received the ‘Prime Minister Gold Medal’ from Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, in 2017. she wrote a dissertation on Theatrical expressivities in terms of Franz Fanon’s National Culture: Seeking of the meaning of Behular Bhasan in 2018 and a research monograph on Representation of women in plays written by male playwrights: Content analysis of selected plays by progressive playwrights in post-independence Bangladesh in 2017. Besides, for her outstanding academic excellence, she won the University Grand Commission Scholarship 2016-17, Begum Rokeya Imdad Trust Scholarship -2016, and Kazi Nurus Sobahan Scholarship 2015-16. She traveled to India at the invitation of the Government of India as a member of the 100 delegates from Bangladesh.
She teaches the courses of Euro-American Drama, Critical Theory, Aharya Abhinaya, Deshoja-Natya and Production of Bangle Theatre etc.
In addition to her academic activities, she has participated in and conducted various important theatre workshops. All these notable workshops are- ‘Improvisation Workshop -2018’ organized University of Dhaka Drama Troupe, ‘Workshop on Acting and Yoga’ organized by Mahakal Natya Sampradaya. She participated in the ‘workshop on Improvisation’ conducted by Dr. Derek Goldman, Professor, Theatre and Performance studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA, in 2018, ‘Workshop on Acting’ conducted by Ali Cambell, Reader at Department of Drama,Queen Marry University of London,UK, in 2016, ‘Workshop on Direction and Acting’ conducted by Vladimir Bichar, Dean of the faculty of Directing, Russian University of Theatre Arts (GITIS), Moscow, in 2015.
She acted in some wonderful theatre productions in Bangladesh. The notable theatre productions she acted in are: Biranganar Kabya, Panjore Chandraban, Prakriti Chitra O Amaler Charalnama, 4.48 Psychosis, Champak Nagarer Upokatha, Irshay, and Desire under the Elms. The name of the play she directed are: Oheliamachine and Abhinetrir Ek SadaRatri. She translated the play Opheliamachine and composed the play Abinetrir ek sadaRatri by herself. The play Abhinetrir ek sadaRatri was staged in 2016 at the 11th University of Dhaka Central Theatre Festival. Opheliamachine staged as the production of the Deapartment of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka in 2024.
Through her unwavering devotion to education and arts, she has been playing an important role in the performing arts and theatre of Bangladesh.
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