Actress Tamalika Karmaker is set to make her US stage debut with Mamunur Rashid’s play Omanush on October 4 at the Nannie J Lee Recreation Center in Alexandria, Virginia, in a production by Suchona Theatre and directed by Jannatul Tumpa.

The play will be staged at 5:30pm on October 4 at the Lee Center on Jefferson Street. Written around 31 years ago, Omanush explores social decay and various contradictions within society.

For Tamalika, performing the play in the US carries an added sense of responsibility because of her long association with Mamunur Rashid and his theatre group Aranyak.

“I feel a greater sense of responsibility with ‘Omanush’. Despite all the challenges, I have to perform well. No matter how experienced an actress I become, every time I step onto the stage, I have to face a new test before the audience,” Tamalika said.

She also described theatre as more than a form of entertainment.

“Theatre is not merely a medium of entertainment; it is a sharp tool of class struggle. Knowing the audience’s reaction directly after performing on stage has become an addiction for me. I want to immerse myself in that feeling again and again,” she said.

Tamalika has worked across television, film and theatre. Her television credits include Kon Kanoner Phool, Kothao Keu Nei and Sharabela. She also drew attention for her performance in the film Onno Jibon.

Mamunur Rashid later invited her to join Aranyak. She made her stage debut with the troupe in 1992 in Pathor, written by Rashid and directed by Azizul Hakim.

She subsequently appeared in several Aranyak productions, including Mayur Singhasan, Joy Joyonti, Rarang, Shotrugon, Uparwala, Bhangabhanga, The Jubilee Hotel, Iblish, Helakhela and Prakritojon Kotha.

Tamalika has been living in the US for several years. Her upcoming performance of Omanush will mark her first stage appearance there.