The audience was deeply moved by the performance, “The City Rat’s Noble Mission.” The combination of an immersive audio narrative and symbolic storytelling created an emotional connection with participants. The story of the rat and the dove, working together to clean a polluted river, resonated with themes of resilience, cooperation, and ecological responsibility.
Audience members, including both school children and older citizens, expressed their reflections during the post-performance discussions. Some shared personal experiences about pollution and environmental degradation, connecting these themes to their local environments. The inclusion of diverse community perspectives helped to ensure the narrative resonated on a personal and emotional level.
Authors: Dezdemóna Kovács in collaboration with Young Ambassadors Olivér Kiss and Dominik Cseppely. Pro Progressione
To further enrich the experience, two new ideas could be introduced:
- Interactive Community Action Mapping: After the performance, participants should be invited to collectively create a large “action map” using colored markers and sticky notes. Each person identified a local environmental issue and proposed a small, actionable solution inspired by the play’s message of cooperation. This visual, collaborative exercise could not only reinforce the story’s themes but also encourage a sense of agency and community commitment, echoing innovative eco-theatre strategies that foster civic engagement and critical thinking.
- Eco-Theatre Skill-Building Workshop: Building on the emotional momentum of the performance, facilitators could lead a short workshop where participants form groups to devise their own short scenes or tableaux on ecological topics relevant to their lives. Drawing from the play’s characters or inventing new ones, groups could explore creative storytelling and problem-solving, much like the Eco-Innovators
- Theatre Play activity. This hands-on approach would promote creativity, communication skills, and confidence while deepening ecological awareness through collaborative dramatic arts.
