Press Release: Playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton Takes Part in Climate Change Theatre Action
Erik Ehn, Arthur Kopit, Deborah Laufer, Ryan McCurdy of Broadway's ONCE, Jacqueline E. Lawton, and Heather Woodbury join CLIMATE CHANGE THEATRE ACTION - a series of worldwide readings and performances intended to bring awareness to, and foster discussion around, climate change during the months of November and December 2015. A joint venture between NoPassport, The Arctic Cycle and Theatre Without Borders, this action is in support of the United Nations 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) taking place November 30-December 11, 2015.
The main goal of the project is to invite as many people as possible, who may not otherwise pay attention to this history-in-the-making event, to participate in a global conversation. Modeled on previous NoPassport theatre actions focused on gun control (http://nopassport.org/gun-controltheatre-action-2013) and the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill (http://nopassport.org/wayofwater), CCTA draws on the expertise and resources of local artists, while being global in scope and uniting multiple countries and cultures around a common issue.
As Elaine Avila, one of the co-organizers, notes, "Coming together to tell stories is one of the best ways we have to organize and educate ourselves, to feel and to understand."
A collection of 1-5 minute plays, poems and songs by 50 writers from all six livable continents, curated by Caridad Svich (playwright, 2012 OBIE for Lifetime Achievement & NoPassport), Chantal Bilodeau (playwright, recipient Woodward International Playwriting Prize & The Arctic Cycle) and Elaine Avila (playwright, recipient Disquiet International Literary Program Playwriting Award & Theatre Without Borders), has been made available to collaborators worldwide. To date, over 70 collaborators have committed to hosting events, ranging from readings in classrooms to day-long festivals, from films and radio programs to site-specific performances by glaciers.
"This artivist action on climate change is an opportunity to reflect, with multiple communities, on of the most vital issues on the planet, continuing our mission toward a theatre that can illuminate the relationship between humans and nature," says Caridad Svich.
Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.
PARTICIPATING PLAYWRIGHTS
Deborah Asiimwe (Uganda), Reneltta Arluk (Canada/Inuvialuit-Dene), Elaine Avila (Canada/US), Catherine Banks (Canada), Chantal Bilodeau (US/Canada), Michael Bradford (US), Lenora Champagne (US), Jody Christopherson (US), Darrah Cloud (US), Mindi Dickstein (US), Erik Ehn (US), Angie Emurwon (Uganda), Kendra Fanconi (Canada), Daniel Gallant (US), David Geary (Canada/New Zealand/ Māori), Dipika Guha (US/India), Jordan Hall (Canada), Amina Henry (US/Jamaica), Naomi Izuka (US), Amahl Khouri (Jordan), Arthur Kopit (US), Koffi Kwahulé (France/Côte d'Ivoire), Neil LaBute (US), Deb Laufer (US), Byrony Lavery (England), Jacqueline E. Lawton (US), Andrea Lepcio (US), E.M. Lewis (US), Kevin Loring (Canada/Nlaka'pamux), Abhishek Majumdar (India), Karen Malpede (US), Ruth Margraff (US), Olivier Mayer (US), Winter Miller (US), Chiori Miyagawa (US), Colleen Murphy (Canada), Veronica Musalem (Mexico), Giovanni Ortega (US/Philippines), Sitawa Namwalie (Kenya), 3 Amir Nizar Zuabi (Palestine), Silvia Pelaez (Mexico), Jeremy Pickard (US), Elyne Quan (Canada), Lynn Rosen (US), Lisa Schlesinger (US), August Schulenburg (US), Stephen Sewell (Australia), Saviana Stanescu (US/Romania), Caridad Svich (US), Heather Woodbury (US).
ABOUT THE PRODUCERS
NoPassport Theatre Alliance and Press was founded by playwright Caridad Svich in 2003 and is committed to the advocacy, promotion, production and publication of creative expressions of diversity and difference in theatre and performance. NoPassport is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas. (www.nopassport.org).
The Arctic Cycle was founded by playwright Chantal Bilodeau in 2009, and uses artistic engagement and advocacy to communicate the urgency of the global climate crisis and encourage people to take action. (www.thearcticcycle.org).
Theatre Without Borders (TWB) is a grass-roots, informal, and volunteer, virtual community that shares information and builds connections between individuals and institutions interested in international theatre exchange.www.theatrewithoutborders.com.