Dr. Israfil Shaheen (Mohammad Israfil) (b.1964) is a director based in Bangladesh and a Professor at the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka. He graduated from the National School of Drama (India) in 1991, obtained PhD on “Street Theatre in Bangladesh” from the Rabindra Vharati University, Kolkata, India, in 1999. He served the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies as its Chair from 2006 to 2009. He has taught at Rabindra Bharati University, in the different time between 1991-1999 in India and also has conducted numerous Workshops on Theatre in Bangladesh, India, South Korea, China, Russia, UAE, USA and United Kingdom, Egypt Philippines , Spain ,Italy, Poland , France, Czech Republic etc.
He has to his credit over 30 research essays in Bengali and English published in the different recognized journal in Bangladesh and India. He has edited one full-length research publication named “Performing Arts in Bangladesh” which is published by Bangladesh Asiatic Society from Dhaka in 2007. His full-length publication is “Street Theatre in Bangladesh” published by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 2008.
Israfil Shaheen’s performance credit include direction of over 40 plays including Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and The Lady from the Sea, Chekhov’s Three Sisters, Shakespear’s The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night,Romeo and Juliet ,Maccbeth, Taming of the Shrew. Moliere’s The Would be Gentlemen by, Agatha ChristyThe Mousetrap by Agatha Christi ,Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Mrrichhakotika (Indian Classical Play) by Sudraka ,Uru Bhangam (Indian Classical Play)by Bhasha ,Toba-Teck-sin by Sadat Hassan Manto ,Oedipus by Sophocles,by Shakespeare for Bangladesh Shilpakala, Twelfth Night, Putual Khela translation of Ibsen’s Doll’s house, Oedius for Department of Theatre and Music, Dhaka University Dybbuk for Padatik Theatre Group, Kolkata, India. He has supervised over 150nstudents directed plays for the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
He has acted in several stage performances directed by eminent directors of home and abroad. His major area of interest is play direction and applied theatre. Currently he has organized a Centre for Cultural studies and Performances research.
His directorial approach has already been made a school or particular trend in Bangladesh. His characteristic features of theatre making are methodological acting blended with unique local teckniques, ethnographic research for characterization and content and minimalist approach to scenography. Israfil Shaheen is a bold voice for how training procedure can be incorporated in a production. He believes not merely in a cultural production but in a cultivating process where theatre is not a production but a processual action.
He has participated several international theatre festivals as a zury, director, lecture demonstrations, conducted workshop, seminar and conference.