Short plays on social cause tour city streets

Under a performing arts initiative, a number of plays were staged on the streets of Bengaluru recently. These performances are aimed at raising awareness about the ill effects of

alcohol consumption

— ranging from bad health and family disputes to road accidents, crimes and other issues.
The streets plays were performed in several city neighbourhoods including Vijayanagar, Mudalapalya, Mysore Bank Circle, Chickpet, Lalbagh, Kalasipalyam, Okalipuram, Uttarahalli, Turahalli and Banashankari. Apart from Bengaluru, this social awareness campaign through

theatre

also covered other parts of the state including Shivamogga, Ramanagara, Mandya and Mysuru. The initiative is organised by a Bengaluru-based trust for development of visually impaired and physically challenged people, in association with the Karnataka State Temperance Board.
“The project aims at reaching out to more and more economically backward families in the state. So far, we have got a good response from the audience, particularly women, who suffer the most due to alcohol addiction of men in the family. Local artistes are being roped in, as we travel from one district to the other. We’ll be performing in Udupi, Mangaluru, Belgaum and Dharwad over the next few months,” says radio programme producer

Deepak R Sagar

, who is spearheading the campaign. Deepak had lost his father when he was still in school due to alcohol addiction, and he is determined to make a change in the society through this initiative.