Chavittu Natakam to raise environment awareness

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It is a novel way to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5 and create awareness among believers to preserve the Earth.

‘Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour’, Ochanthuruth, under the Varapuzha diocese, staged a musical-dance drama to portray issues related to the environment and ways to take corrective action.

The vigorous movements, exaggerated gestures and elaborate and colourful co-stumes of Chavittu Natakam were presented in traditional style by the Church’s troupe – a seven-member team of artists led by V.L. Sebastian, who played a character in Shaji N. Karun's Kutty Srank.

“We thought we would point out current critical issues through the Latin Christian classical art form, and invite the attention of believers towards the burning issue of climate change and environment protection through the colourful drama,” Church committee member Francis Chammany, who also wrote the script for the play, said, soon after the two-hour performance in the Church premises, watched by hundreds.

The drama unfolds the story of a land where the king deputes his trusted official to find out the reasons that resulted in unseasonal rains and increase in temperature. “We first studied the issue and then presented it before the audience,” he said.