Bhubaneswar, Jan. 18: Art has always looked to society for inspiration and subject matter. Hence, it is no coincidence that theatre groups are staging plays on contemporary issues to create awareness about them.

A variety of subjects, including marital life, child prostitution, effects of climate change and desires such as greed and excessive ambition, are being presented on stage to connect with the audience.

At the recently concluded 12th Panchamaveda annual theatre fest in Bhubaneswar, a number of the plays dealt with the problems of daily life.

The inaugural play Swetapadma, directed by Haren Sahoo of Panchamaveda, showcased a modern wife's frustration with her timid husband and her appreciation for another man.

The play highlighted how the availability of so many options ultimately leads to confusion.

"The sense of commitment fluctuates quite a lot among youngsters these days. We wanted to disseminate the idea of patience in relationships," said Sahoo, who is also the secretary of Panchamaveda.

The actor-director feels that theatre is an effective medium for spreading awareness.

"Theatre is a strong medium to disseminate information on a mass scale and we tried to make the plays a learning experience for the audience," he said.

Pakhi, by Rourkela-based Sampark, written and directed by Bhaskar Mohapatra, took a critical look at the Indian constitution, especially on non-discrimination on the basis of religion and caste.

Uttar Purush's Padmatola, written by Panchanan Patra and directed by Abhinna Routray, showed pride as a killer of inherent human qualities.

"We are trying to portray society the way it is now so that youngsters could connect to it. Television is a strong medium, but a live stage show can make a much greater impact on the viewers," said Routray, who is also a theatre activist.

Natya Chetana, a group founded by Subodh Patnaik, staged Aabu, based on Manoj Das's story. The play questioned motives of greed and fame through the symbolic use of aabu (tumour).

A group of 13 girls who recently trained under Patnaik staged Sapanara Sapana aimed at encouraging people to regenerate mangrove forests.

"Our aim is to make people aware of the usefulness of mangrove forests and the need to revive them. Distributing pamphlets will not be of much help unless we give the audience a visual representation," said Patnaik.