Turkish actors perform to spread virus awareness

ELAZIG, Turkey

Theater actors and actresses on Friday staged a public performance to raise awareness on the novel coronavirus pandemic in eastern Turkey.

The Almila Theater Workshop started their efforts on the streets of Elazig province to draw attention to the COVID-19 outbreak, taking up the slogan, The virus is among us.

Dressed as the coronavirus, actors and actresses roamed the public squares and busy streets to attract people’s attention to wearing masks, keeping with social distances, and paying attention to hygiene. They performed mini-concerts on how the virus infects people.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, the theater's curator Mahmut Yildirim said that he and his colleagues sought to contribute to the fight against the coronavirus through the performing arts.

"By doing this, we want to show them how the virus could potentially be close to us and find us anywhere," Yildirim said, adding that they had received positive feedback from the locals.

Acting as a guitar-playing virus, Ali Eren Coskun said they tried to raise awareness on how harmful the virus could be. More precisely, they tried to demonstrate how the virus roams around with humans.

Silan Ozgen, a local resident who was watching the performance, said: "We can encounter the virus anywhere. So, we should comply with the rules and restrictions. Actors and actresses of the theater tried to draw attention to the virus. I'm quite impressed."

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk