On December 13, 2019 students from WashU’s Performing Arts Department (PAD) participated in the International Festival of Climate Change plays at St. Louis University.
Alex Knapp a second-year master’s student in Theatre and Performance Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, had a leading role; coordinating the St. Louis event with Joan Lipkin, Artistic Director of That Uppity Theatre Company and former PAD Artist-in-Residence. Knapp and Lipkin co-authored the piece that he and fellow PAD students, Maddie House-Tuck (first-year master’s student, Theatre and Performance Studies), Emma Flannery (Drama Major, English & Film Minors), and Jens Damgaard (Drama Major) performed to original music by Mitch Manar on cello (first-year master’s student in Theatre and Performance Studies – not pictured). On the same night of their St. Louis performance other Climate Change Theatre Actions were occurring in Nebraska, British Columbia, New York, the Czech Republic, and Ireland. Fifty playwrights contributed to the over 100 events that took place worldwide.
Why are some young couples forgoing having children?
Where does that chocolate bar come from?
How might certain media outlets spin a climate change emergency?
These themes and more were explored in “Playhouse Emissions: Climate Change Theatre Action St. Louis 2019”!
Hosted by That Uppity Theatre Company in association with Saint Louis University Fine and Performing Arts Department, produced by Lipkin, and directed by Thomas Martin, Associate Professor of Theatre, St. Louis University, Anna Blair, St. Louis Theatre Professional, Joan Lipkin and Alex Knapp, “Playhouse Emissions: Climate Change Theatre Action St. Louis 2019” featured a sampling of the CCTA international collection of commissioned short plays inspired by climate change and prevailing attitudes towards science.
The plays on Friday Dec 13 included:
Marcia Johnson – SINGLE USE
Chantal Bilodeau – HOMO SAPIENS
Stephen Sewell – THE REASON
Joan Lipkin – ABOUT THAT CHOCOLATE BAR
Alister Emerson – SIX POLAR BEARS FELL OUT OF THE SKY THIS MORNING
Mindi Dickstein – EL TORO SAGRADO IN THE CAR REPAIR SHOP
Elaine Ávila – BRACKENDALE
"The most important thing we can do is inform ourselves and understand the situation,” according to Greta Thunberg, the 16-year old climate activist.
The performance was held in the newly christened Mark Wilson Studio Theatre in Xavier Hall on the Campus of St. Louis University.
More information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/445101909744363/.
