In holding a mirror up to society, theatre, by extension, holds a mirror up to itself. Or, it ought to. If plays on environmental crisis make it to the stage, can what transpires backstage be removed from the script? Can venues that host productions with a green message serve chai to their patrons in Styrofoam cups?

Prithvi Cafe, attached to the city’s mecca for theatre, has made a conscious shift towards a greener ethos, with food served in pattals (leaf plates) and ceramic crockery, while its garbage bins are lined with biodegradable corn starch trash bags. Harkat Studios co-founder Karan Talwar tells us that with their functional design, everything at the Versova venue has multiple uses. From tables made of repurposed window shutters and a bookshelf made out of an old ladder, to using white cloth over flex for projections, a minimalist, eco-friendly principle guides their daily affairs.