German troupe stages play on climate change
A German theatre troupe called "Die Mimosen" staged a play called "Josephine and the Brothers of the Wind" for youngsters at the Goethe Institute in Dhaka on Tuesday. Goethe Institute supports five partner schools in Bangladesh offering German language classes. The event was organized for the young students under the "Schools: Partners for the Future" (PASCH) initiative.
Almost 120 young language learners of the partner schools enjoyed the play followed by a discussion session focusing on climate change.
The story centers on Josephine- played by actress Stephanie Siebers- who nurtures flowers in her garden until suddenly the rain stops. None of those she approaches - scientists, politicians among others, all played by actor Kai Meister - is able to help her, and thus she ventures on a journey to find water by herself.
In the mountains, she meets with fire and rain; however, they cannot help her unless she finds their brother, wind. Thus Josephine continues her journey- until she can rescue wind from his imprisonment, set-up by a profit-oriented water vendor.
The fairy tale-esque play set in a contemporary setting aims to teach children the fundamentals about climate change and how it affects our planet. German actor and environmentalist Kai Meister told the Dhaka Tribune: "Performing here in Dhaka felt like home, the young audiences were very keen.
I would like to come back here to perform and get familiar with the local theatre activists to raise awareness on climate change." Established in 1988, Die Mimosenhas developed and produced more than 20 theatrical productions and projects. Currently they offer 11 plays for children aged 3 or over.
