Narcissism is necessary and is in all of us

By Muammar Hadi

GOMBAK, 26 October 2022: The theatre of Narcisissary explained how narcissism is in all of us but only in different forms and levels, thus, is necessary but should be controlled.

The insights into the show’s production and thoughts on mental health were shared by the director and scriptwriter of the theatre in an exclusive interview with IIUMToday.

“Students exist in many different family backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses with different struggles which can lead to mental health issues,” the director, a communication student from Abdulhamid Abusulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge (AHAS KIRKHS), Ili Nadia Husna Binti Abd Wahab, said.

Ili Nadia shared that the inspiration to direct the show came from her passion for theater since 2016 in foundations and to her it’s also a form of Da’wah.

She also highlighted some challenges in directing the show which included the lack of confidence to interact with new members, knowing when to talk and when to listen to other members as well as solving internal conflicts.

The director then concluded, “We need to control our decisions as every decision has it’s consequences and we must do things that benefits us as well as always being in moderation when prioritizing others over ourselves”.

Meanwhile, the scriptwriter, a law PHD student from Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL), Farah Amirah Mazlan, added that most people who have mental health issues are not aware of it. Therefore, it is through the show that the audience can learn more about themselves and mental health in general.

Her advice for students with mental health issues is to always turn back to God and know that they are not alone while reminding mental health issues can always be fixed.

Farah explained how theater can convey messages effectively to audiences through actions and expression of the casts compared to just stating boring facts.

The scriptwriter also stated several challenges in realising the theatre, “We were very shorthanded where crew members had to handle multiple roles within the play and our collaborators were also small in number,” she elaborated.

All the actors showed signs of narcissism when punishing Nas for her mistakes and shortcomings
Nas, a lady who suppressed her narcissism and a doctor who’s narcissism makes him secretly look down on others
Mirah and the boss (abang shah) both showed narcissism when they think they are better than others

Narcisissary can be seen in different forms as it was portrayed by everyone at a workplace. The show was received well by the students, friends and family outside the university with 500 and 200 tickets sold for the first and second day with more sales expected from walk in tickets.

Narcisissary theater took place at the main auditorium IIUM and was played on the 20th (Thursday) and 21st (Friday) October at 8:30 PM. 

As part of the IIUM Grand Mental Health Month Program 2022 and in conjunction with the world mental health month, the theatre was organised by Counseling and Career Services Centre and IIUM Peers in collaboration with CITRA IIUM, ENMS Student’s Society, Mosha IIUM, Mahallah Asiah, The Good Society, Juragan Pentas Production, IIUM Theater Club, IIUM Student Career Team and Evoke i-Resources. ***

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