A story of survival acquires dramatic dimensions

A scene from the theatrical presentation Chevittorma.

Chevittorma puts it in a pithy manner. The play on lives under constant threat of tidal flooding, whose name refers to a Christian practice of whispering prayers into the ears of a dying person, focusses on their ever intensifying battle for survival.

The stage presentation is the story of the resilience of thousands of families on a narrow strip of land hemmed in by the backwaters and the sea on the western fringes of Ernakulam district.

It is a fight on the last frontier of hope and climate resilience, marked by see-sawing fortunes as high tidal flooding and sea incursions plunge lives into peril with the passage of time.

Designed and directed by theatre personality Sreejith Ramanan, Chevittorma will be staged again at Kerala Museum, Edappally, on May 2 accompanied by a panel discussion on climate, community, and art.

The play is an evolving one, said Dr. Ramanan, explaining the way the presentation had been modified to include fresh memories of the people. The composition is more polished than the earlier presentations. At the centre of the dramatic presentation is a narrative by 11 people who focus on their experience and survival.

Places like Puthenvelikkara on the northern border of Ernakulam district, Thuruthikkara, Maradu, Paravur, Kumbalangi, and Edappally form the backdrop of the narrative.

“Through Chevittorma we witness the raw, unfiltered realities of a community striving to maintain hope amid overwhelming despair. The play is both a cry for attention to the unsustainable living conditions under global warming and a significant attempt at local intervention in the face of a global concern, through theatre,” Dr. Ramanan said.