Bhubaneswar, April 17: Manana Natya Sanstha, a theatre group, is on a mission to promote awareness plays at various educational institutes here.
In collaboration with the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, the group will visit schools and stage plays that address specific social and cultural issues.
The Akademi has been promoting the concept at schools and colleges across the country. Prominent theatre groups, producing awareness plays, are being invited to stage plays at educational institutions to create social awareness among students.
Manana Natya Sanstha launched the programme with Chandrasekhar Nanda's Bapa Chahu Nathile at Samantarapur High School here last week. The play was about the need for love and care that children should bestow upon their parents during old age.
"Parents, these days, become lonelier as their children get busier. It is necessary to induce a sense of responsibility among children towards the elders," said Manoj Patnaik, founder of the group and the director of the play. Besides, the students also interacted with the actors on the nitty-gritty of group theatre and how they could come up with such short plays.
Saraswati Sishu Mandir School, Bargarh BRIT Colony, will host a show of the same play tomorrow. Gradually, they would move to various private schools and colleges.
The theatre group aims to use the cultural medium to help the students explore and identify themselves. "Child psychologists, educators and scientists have hailed the positive influence of such plays, for generations. It not only provides the children with opportunities to develop social competence through interactions but also fosters the cognitive development of a child," said Patnaik. Besides this, the group plans to come up with plays on various social issues such as violence on women, ills of alcohol, and rape.
Patnaik said: "We have approached the authorities of various schools and colleges to let us stage the plays at their institutions. If we receive invitation from any school or college, we would be happy to perform."