India, June 3 -- News of the attack on Iran arrived just before the last show of The Skindom at Sahyande Theatre, Attapadi (Kerala). There was fear, grief and uncertainty. Families of six members of the cast, who are in Norway, seemed even further away as flight bookings passing through West Asia would now be unusable. Tears were shed. Prayers were said for people, for the world caught in a war. A conscious decision was made to continue to offer presence and peace through touch as the last show of the Asian premiere of The Skindom unfolded.

Six Norwegian "touchers," (that's what these theatre practitioners call themselves) with two invited collaborators (of which I was one), then dived into the immersive theatre production in which every...