The Climate Change Theatre Action festival lands in Lansing with short plays, poetry and special guests on Nov. 16 at Stage One and Dec. 1-2 at LCC.
Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA) is a global festival that uses theatre to bring communities together for local and global climate action. The festival takes place at participating sites around the world every 2 years in conjunction with the U.N. Conference of the Parties on Climate Change. Playwrights from many countries contribute 5-minute plays that producers may select from and then create an event using at least one play along with some type of action such as a panel discussion, information tables, and/or ideas for personal actions, etc.
Two events are scheduled for Lansing, produced by Melissa Kaplan, Lansing Community College: an evening at Stage One on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. focused on eco-anxiety/climate optimism with a short play and discussion, and two evenings at LCC’s Black Box Theatre on Dec. 1-2 at 7:30 p.m. with a dozen short plays, poetry and presenters from local environmental organizations.
This year’s theme, All Good Things Must Begin, is taken from science fiction writer Octavia Butler’s early journals, as she sought to establish herself and dreamt of the writer she might become, just as we can combine dreams and actions to ensure the planet we want for the future.
Climate Change Theatre Action was originally conceived by Elaine Ávila, Chantal Bilodeau, Roberta Levitow, and Caridad Svich following a model pioneered by NoPassport Theatre Alliance. It has since evolved into a U.S.-Canada collaboration between the Arts & Climate Initiative and the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts.
The LCC-produced programs are free, with donations accepted at LCC’s Black Box for the LCC Theatre Scholarship Fund. If you have questions or would like more information, contact Melissa Kaplan at 517-483-1488 or kaplanm@star.lcc.edu.
