First Drop Theatre’s Care-Tharsis provides caregivers with a platform for their stories

“The idea of wanting to use theatre to work in the area of healthcare started off our flagship program, Care-Tharsis,” says Bejoy Balagopal, co-founder of First Drop Theatre, a theatre company based in Bengaluru. First Drop has been performing playback (unscripted performances often improvising on the stories shared by the audience) theatre across the country for over 10 years now.

With performances at the intersection of healthcare and theatre, Care-Tharis. . . Through the Eyes of Caregivers too, which marks their tenth anniversary, will take place on September 19, in Bengaluru.

Begun by Bejoy and Dr. Radhika Jain in 2015, First Drop Theatre has always looked towards including healthcare and education to their programs using applied theatre. “We bring awareness on hospice treatment, disability, mental health and other issues, with our performances,” says Bejoy.

Focusing on the acts of caregiving and caregivers in daily life, this theatre program will delve into the stories revolving around giving and receiving care. Open to audiences across all fields, this event is designed to be open and friendly for first-time attendees as well.

First Drop Theatre have also performed in old age homes, hospices and medical colleges, and Bejoy believes the program has helped both the company and himself evolve into more aware, empathetic individuals with a deeper knowledge of societal issues.

Care-Tharsis is a play on catharsis, a key component of playback theatre. “Though we cannot call it a form of therapy, the format itself can have a therapeutic effect,” Bejoy says. The event revolves around human emotions, personal experiences and real-life stories. For most audiences, this becomes a form of expressing themselves and their experiences as caregivers or receivers. “This event is for everyone; one might be a caregiver or they might have received care. Or one can just come and listen to these stories.”

The caregivers in the context of Care-Tharsis does not only include doctors, nurses or medical practitioners, but also parents, children, spouses, relatives and friends. The cast of Care-Tharsis listen to their audience and bring their experiences to life right in front of their eyes.

Care-Tharsis. . .Through the Eyes of Caregivers by First Drop Theatre will be staged at Artkhoj on September 19 at 5.30pm. Tickets from ₹300 on BookMyShow