Play will send a message on clearing garbage

MYSORE: Managing waste in the city is a herculean task. It will be easy if every individual joins hands with the civic body in making their surroundings garbage-free. With this as the theme, the junior artistes of Rangayana will stage 'GarbageCityalliBettalata', a satire depicting garbage issues dogging cities. PrakashGaruda has directed the play.
'Garbage Cityalli Bettalata', based on Nobel laureate Dario Fo's 'One was nude, one wore tails', has seven characters.The story revolves around two main characters -- a sweeper and an ambassador.
The play is set in a red-light area in Bangalore, which is riddled with garbage. An ambassador comes to solve the garbage issue in the city. Circumstances force him to be nude and hide in a trash bin. The sweeper who tries to help the ambassador finds himself in a piquant spot. The story ends with a message to be clean - both from outside and inside - on philosophical lines.
Speaking to STOI, Garuda said that Mahatma Gandhi is a model to look up as he kept his surroundings clean. "A social worker, who preaches everyone to maintain cleanliness in the city, doesn't practice the same. But a municipality sweeper, who listens to him, ensures cleanliness," he added.
The play is unique by being a mélange of company-style and modern theatre-style of play. It has satire, comedy and serious narration. The play offers ample opportunity to artistes to show their acting skills. The mistaken identity, changing costumes and the language makes the play appealing.
The junior artistes are staging the play after a long protest with Rangayana officials. This is their first play after the completion of their diploma course. They have been rehearsing the play for three weeks from now.
Junior artiste Mohammed Ali Haveri told STOI: "The play throws light on the life of a sweeper. It shows the contrast in lifestyle between sweepers and those from elite class. The so-called elite class people do not show the same concern shown by the sweeper in keeping the city clean."
Artistes Haveri, Kitti Govnkar, H G Malashree, Abhishek, Arun Kumar M and Dhanraj S R will give their debut performance at Bhoomigeetha on Sunday.