New play aims to create awareness about child abuse

A new play by a Pune-based Marathi group creates awareness about child abuse with the aim to give children the confidence to speak out

A scene from a rehearsal of the play Ekda Kay Zaala

A 90-minute Marathi play by Pune-based Maharashtra Cultural Centre will be part of the International Festival of Theatre for Young Audiences (TIFLI). Called Ekda Kay Zaala (Once upon a time), the play addresses the issue of child abuse. It aims to create awareness and emphasises the point that children are not to be blamed if they are the victims of abuse and that they need to speak up to get justice.

Considered suitable for an audience eight years old and above, the play highlights the fact that abuse, whether physical, emotional or sexual in nature, is equally intense for young people and leaves an impact for a lifetime. The trauma of child abuse and the conversion of the victim into a survivor are depicted through song and dance in a Grips style (a unique genre of theatre from Germany, that highlights children's issues through innovative ideas) as part of the institute's Grips theatre movement. The play strings together stories of children who deal with abuse and think of a solution to deal with it, and protest against the injustice in their own way.

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