Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Theatre, A Platform to Voice Fears and Change Society

November 20, 2021
social change

Can theatre come to the fore as a major agent of social change? Can it help channel the ethos and pathos of the society at large and help us find solutions through creative dialogues and climaxes that show a resolution of sorts? That is the belief of VP Naidu who has called for a revival of theatre in order to bring in a creative agent for social change within the country and its various quarters. It may be seen that he is most definitely drawing from the past and from history when he talks about this. In the World War 2 era, when France was seeing a battering of its spirit by the German forces who took the region by storm, the saving grace was the arts scene and theatre in particular that gave people a deserving chance to escape the harsh realities that had plagued them to no end, including the ravages of the German troops in delicate French society.

When we turn to a medium like theatre to bring about social change, we are basically using this platform to voice our fears and to also hold up a mirror of all that needs to be rectified in society today. The work of art, music, literature and even films is to do the same so that social change can be given a voice and executed accordingly. This would also make our policies even more inclusive and to include the voices of those who have not been properly represented in the plans and programs run by the government. In doing so, theatre can also amplify the voices of all those who have walked the path and show them the light of the day in terms of social change and what can be expected. This would make for a wholesome view of any and every issue plaguing our society today.