Necessary Targets: character motivation and interaction

Melissa

Melissa is a young writer who initially struggles to empathise with the women she meets. Her primary motivation is to tell a compelling story.
Over time, Melissa becomes more invested in the women’s stories and empathises with them on a personal level. This change reflects her personal development and growth.

J.S

As a successful psychiatrist, J.S is initially more focused on maintaining her professionalism and is emotionally detached from the women.
She aims to help the women but struggles due to cultural and experiential differences. As the play progresses, her motivation shifts from being professional to truly understanding and helping the women.

Zlata

Zlata is a Bosnian doctor whose life has been ruined by war. She initially resents J.S and Melissa’s attempts to help, seeing them as naïve and unhelpful.
Her primary motivation is survival, and she reluctantly opens up about her experiences in an attempt to cope with her trauma.

Nuna

Nuna, a young Bosnian woman, is passionate, fiery and often acts as the voice of resistance in the group. Her motivation is to raise awareness to the impact of the war on their lives.
Unlike others, she willingly shares her experiences, challenging the impartiality of Melissa and J.S.

Azra

Azra is an elderly peasant woman who stubbornly clings on to the past and loses herself in fantasies about her chickens and her farm. Her motivation is a desire to return to her pre-war life.

The interaction of Melissa and J.S with the Bosnian women gradually changes as they move from viewing their task as an assignment to becoming genuinely concerned about the women’s well-being.
Over time, J.S and Melissa face their own traumas, reflecting that they are equally affected by the war stories, challenging their earlier perceptions about who the ‘victims’ are.
Zlata initially resists their help, finding the concept of therapy foreign. Yet, as she gradually opens up to J.S., she contributes to the shift in J.S’s understanding of her job.
Nuna challenges Melissa and J.S. about their approach, pushing them to reflect on their original motivations. Her persistent questioning parlays into a deeper understanding between the women.
Azra remains somewhat separate from the group due to her preoccupation with her past life, but there are poignant moments where she reveals the depth of her suffering, inducing empathy in the others.