Changing the World
When choosing plays and deciding on a throughline for our 2013 season, the environment was in the forefront of the discussion. Environmental issues are often a topic for debate and seldom have been more so than now, with the Marcellus Shale drilling that has reopened industry and old wounds in the region. In practical application, however, there are not an abundance of plays about the environment throughout history and in modern theatre the message is mostly of a single note: saving the environment is important. We don’t seek to contest that sentiment, but there had to be more to say on the subject. We wanted to examine mankind’s relationship with the world we exist in, how much responsibility we should feel for the planet, what kind of impact we have on our world, and what should our position in our environment be. With these thoughts in mind, we broadened the topic beyond science and our natural environment and we found some very interesting plays with a great deal to say. The theme for our 2013 season is Changing the World. The plays we have chosen to be a part of the discussion examine the possibilities and practicalities of seeking to change the world. What grand act does it take to change the world? Is it possible to help changing the world just by our simplest every day actions? The understanding of our role in the world has changed so drastically since the early days of theatre and science that it is difficult to see similarities between then and now, but the knowledge that our actions have impact, if not purpose – repercussions, if not reason - is what ties these plays together and forms the basis for the throughline of our season. As Nobel winning physicist, Paul Dirac put it, “Pick a flower on Earth and you move the farthest star.”
