Theatre: A Strategic Approach...

Bengali cinema and theater speaks powerfully to this nation. Throngs of people head to the cinema each day to be entertained with comedy, dazzled by incredible fight scenes, enchanted by romance, and moved with heart-wrenching drama, all fused together with singing and dancing: five essential elements for virtually every film produced in the Asian subcontinent. Here, true love is always found and the enemy defeated, no matter what the odds.

Bangladeshis believe in audience participation; it’s the measure of a successful film. A captivated audience will sheepishly laugh and whistle during romantic moments, while gripping fight scenes bring an eruption of shouts condemning the villain. A powerful dramatic scene will be met with hushed silence and understanding tears, while a humorous situation will bring down the house. One might imagine how emotionally draining a trip to the theater could be!

Using A Similar Form...

Bengal Creative Media applies these elements of film to our productions in order to effectively communicate educational concepts and principles; however, the deeply rooted cultural expectations and sensationalism present unique challenges. For our work to be effective, we must maintain the integrity of our message while offering the people an appealing program. Three primary factors guide our rationalle to produce dramas comparable, in format, to those that appear in films, theater and on TV.

1) Bengali society is markedly traditional and thus looks at change quite differently than does the West. Change is significantly uncomfortable for the average Bangladeshi. Inasmuch as some of the ideas we aim to present through drama and music are new and suggest the possibility for change, introducing such ideas with unfamiliar and culturally unacceptable forms of communication is not wise.

2) A creative approach, with which people are familiar, is strategic. It draws their attention and encourages the audience to participate, allowing them to accept new ideas more readily.

3) Bangladeshi’s live in a culture that is rich in heritage, literature, theater and music. BCM wants to be a part of its legacy and encourage it to grow and flourish.

Our Audience...

Audiences want to experience the drama of relationships, the glow of golden treasures, the laughter of the light-hearted, even the pain of mourning in light of hope. Bengali cinema offers them the opportunity to live vicariously through the actors of these sensational experiences.

BCM, on the other hand, presents life as it is for much of the audience: relationships are broken with lies, laughter is stifled with pain, the guilty get away with bribes and the innocent are at the mercy of the corrupt. However, when the people identify with the actors of our productions, we go one step further by showing them something nearly unimaginable... a lifestyle where truth is elevated above falsehood and integrity becomes the foundation in society.

A Look At Our Content...

We hope to inspire people to embrace truth and integrity in their lives and communities. During our presentations throughout the country, we have discovered, more often than not, audiences understand the challenges. All they need is a chance to see how these values are lived out.

For example, we performed a drama dealing with the widespread problem of illiteracy using a realistic and familiar scenario. The main character was a wealthy, evil man who repeatedly cheated the poor in his community. He would loan money to poor farmers and have them sign on the dotted line. Not knowing how to read, they signed away any chance to make a profit, and instead, found themselves having to beg for mercy. What caught my eye was the intensity with which the audience related with the scene. They began to shout at the farmer, telling him not to sign the paper! The actor playing the part of the farmer looked over the crowd and asked, “You don’t think this man would cheat me, do you?” The crowd responded with a resounding “Yes!”... truly the mark of a captured and influenced audience.

We produced another drama that concentrated on mother and child health care: The production highlighted many misconceptions and false beliefs held by Bengalis regarding pregnancy and early childhood. For instance, it is a commonly held belief eating such things as eggs and meat are particularly hazardous to the mother during her pregnancy. One tradition urges mothers to eat less during pregnancy in order to keep the babies’ weight down. The perceived benefit is eating less causes fewer complications for the mother. But in limiting maternal food intake during pregnancy, they curtail the health of the developing child.

Supplementing this script is an emphasis on women’s role with the family and society. In Bangladeshi society, it is usually the mother-in-law or the child’s father who decides what is best for the expectant mother or the newborn child. The mother has virtually no control over her own child in the early stages. Therefore, we believe it is more effective to focus our attention on those who have the greatest impact influence in the family; it is our intent to educate not just the mother but the entire family with sound practices for maternal and child health.

A Resource for You...

Bengal Creative Media offers customized productions for our clients by assessing the situation first and then preparing the script to fit the local context, highlighting a particular theme, social issue or educational concept . We provide one week long tours (6 performances) or one day performances. Professional actors, actresses and musicians of Bengal Creative Media train and rehearse until the production is complete and ready to perform. Contact us for rates!