Greener Pastures

The Last Color is remarkable for combining two aspects of thought – one that is a pressing environmental issue,and another which is a highly complex art form. Physical theatre remains a lesser explored territory even within the Arts. It forsakes the articulation of words to communicate through movement,dance and often music. But in Pune,a few experiments with this form of theatre have come wrapped in messages of saving the environment.

“Those who plant trees,will continue to do so; we wanted to change the way people think. To sustain this idea,we need to plant green ideas,” says Abhishek Kawitkar of city-based NGO Tree Public Foundation. The organisation has made the combination of theatre activities and its message of planting more trees an annual affair with its World Environment Theatre Day. Last year,a rousing piece of physical theatre that combined classical and contemporary dance,and live music,was their instrument of awareness-creation. This year,they will go a step further and present a melange of mime,shadow play and even ballet. “As an NGO,we believe we should encourage the arts,” says Kawitkar. “Physical theatre makes a deep impact because there is an artist in everyone. It establishes more connect with the audience and gives a different push to the ideas.”

Hartman de Souza,based in Goa,has been into physical theatre for over a decade. He is the creator-director of the 45-minute wordless drama called Creatures of the Earth which vocalises the traumas of excessive mining,through movements and music. The play has traveled to many cities,including Pune multiple times,but aims to spread the word farther. De Souza,however,insists they are not an NGO. “I am a theatre person. Physical theatre in itself is too complicated a medium to be used much by NGOs. But yes,I think they need to use theatre as a whole to communicate messages beyond just science and math,” he says.

For Bhide though,the ‘Save the Tiger’ message just had to come as a piece of physical theatre that uses recorded narration and zero preaching. “I did not want too much of ‘acting’,because that would mean actors,their costumes and so much more of the fundamentals. Here,the message is conveyed through abstract and contemporary dance; there is more freedom,” he says.