Theater Project

The DMPA Street Theater Project
By Diepiriye S. Kuku-Siemons

The Banglanatak troupe marched through the neighborhood searching for an ideal space to attract an audience. Their loud rhythmic drumming drove people out of their shops and homes onto the streets to witness the 'disturbance'. Many joined the excitement and procession, prodding the troupe for hints as to what was about to happen.

On the whole, audiences ranged from twenty to eighty, averaging fifty onlookers per show. In some places, people were clambering to see the street theater show, educating the population about the contraceptive Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA). The DIMPA network project is implemented by PSP-One across nine towns and cities is shortly expanding to cover an additional ten towns in UP and Uttaranchal. The program objective is to promote the use of DMPA by enhancing consumer awareness of this method as a part of the basket of contraceptive choices and to ensure high quality of service provision by private clinics.

The role that women often fulfill in the management of the household, children and elders restricts her mobility and her ability to partake in the animated street theater spectacles. Discussions with the troupe leader revealed that their experience has been that more women attend if the group situates itself deep inside the residential sections of each colony. Earlier performances took place in markets- areas primarily populated by males. Market areas see a great deal of people in transit who are unlikely to assemble for more than two minutes, making it difficult to maintain a captive audience. Crowds in less commercial/more residential areas tend to stick around for the entire duration of the plays, which are brief- at most 15 minutes long. This is especially important in conveying social messages, beyond merely spreading the word that some strangers have appeared in the local area to make a vague public exhibition.