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About

project overview

Concept

Anthropocene, a high-impact original devised physical theatre performance that examines our current geological epoch—an age in which human activity has significantly impacted our climate and environment. The convergence of the global syndemic—the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, social justice unrest, and social systems pushed to their breaking point—indicates an imperative for real change. The topic of human-caused climate change is urgent. Indeed, in August 2021, the United Nations (UN) issued a report declaring “a code red for humanity. The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable.” Because scientific data can be opaque and difficult to decipher, climate scientists face challenges in prompting the general public to act. This is where performance comes in.  


Anthropocene, a multi-year transdisciplinary performance project, fuses innovative aesthetics, sustainable production processes, and evocative storytelling with an award-winning creative team to express the acute need for climate action in accordance with several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The piece foregrounds physical storytelling by staging evocative movement-based episodes that are woven together to examine key questions: 


  • What human stories and indigenous and cultural knowledges are embedded within the climate and social crisis, and how can these be ethically harnessed in and through performance? 
  • How can performance offer a visceral, dynamic, performative response to global issues tied to human consumption, civil unrest, over-population, and climate change, thereby transforming climate grief into climate action? 


The development of the piece includes design retreats, devising labs, research travel to obtain original video imagery, sound samples, and interviews, our digital and physical lobbies.   


Anthropocene is an evocative piece of physical theatre that crafts layered visual storytelling into a non-linear mosaic of moments, with text sparsely incorporated through projections and recordings. Our creative process centers eco-dramaturgy, a critical framework for making and interrogating theatre focused on ecological issues and sustainable production practices. While the content and storytelling of Anthropocene are highly imaginative, of equal import is its commitment to sustainability. Costumes will be constructed from recycled/upcycled materials. Our lobbies will provide climate action resources based on cutting-edge sustainability science. 


To accomplish these groundbreaking approaches while pushing aesthetic boundaries, we have secured the talents of award-winning designers: Arnel Sancianco (scenic designer), Connie Furr (costume designer), Dan Jaquette (sound designer), William Kirkham (lighting designer), Jacob Pinholster (projection designer), and narrative specialist Steven Beschloss.  


This multi-year/multi-phase transdisciplinary performance project, which began in 2019, is expansive in scale and scope. In consultation with leading sustainability scientists, in addition to the performance, we will build a robust community engagement platform to generate dialogues and actionable solutions for climate change aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We will build a series of seminars around the performance and publish detailed dramaturgical documentation of our research, process, and methodology.   

WHAT IS THE THEATRE OF GLOBAL EMERGENCY? [...] How do we transform "climate grief" into "climate action"? --Conrad Alexandrowicz and David fancy

PROJECT TIMELINE: 2019 TO PRESENT

Phase One: Devising the Anthropocene (spring 2019)

  • Spring 2019: A group of undergraduate and graduate students developed theatrical moments, scenes, and vignettes exploring the theme: Anthropocene with Rebekah Dawn Hall, Ricky Quintana, Muneera Batool, Caroline Patton Abernethy  and Hugo Crick-Furman.
  • August 2020: Bowditch presented her research on Devising the Anthropocene at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) for the "Reimagining Theatre Education in the Era of Climate Crisis," panel with Conrad Alexandrowicz, David Fancy, and Mary Anderson, co-authors of the Routledge volume Theatre Pedagogy in the Era of Climate Crisis (2021).  

Phase Two: Humanities Lab/Performing the Anthropocene (Fall 2020)

  • Fall 2020: Professor Bowditch co-taught an ASU Humanities Lab, Performing the Anthropocene with Assistant Professor Scott Cloutier from the School of Sustainability. In this second phase of research and development, we delved deeper into the eco-dramaturgy and sustainability science of the Anthropocene with an interdisciplinary group from across ASU. 
  • March 2021: Bowditch presented Devising the Anthropocene for the "Eco-Aesthetics in Performance and in Design," panel at the Theatre Pedagogy in the Era of Climate Crisis Online Symposium at the Marilyn I. Walker School for Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University, Ontario, Canada. 

Phase Three: Eco-dramaturgical research (Fall 2021)

  • Eco-dramaturgical work with Karen Jean Martinson and Steven Beschloss to determine next steps. 
  • Received the Seize the Moment Grant from Leonardo, the ASU Humanities Lab., and the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Lab. $7000. 
  • Received the Institute for Humanities/Herberger Institute Seed Grant. $10,000. 

Phase Four: anthropocene devising research lab (spring 2022)

  • Spring 2022: Working with School of Music, Dance, and Theatre undergraduate and graduate students, we met Fridays 10am-1pm to conduct weekly devising sessions experimenting with the dramaturgical research, themes, and research questions in a performative devising workshop. 
  • Devising Ensemble: Clara Kundin, Becca Levy, Kristina Friedgen, Julio-Cesar Saucedua, Serena DeLuca, Ann Ethington, Jiari Ding, Ty Klassen, and Cassaundra Mora.
  • Spring 2022: Collaborated with Associate Professor David Manuel-Navarrete (School of Sustainability/Global Futures Laboratory) graduate seminar on transformative approaches to sustainability SOS 518: Synthesis for Sustainability. Bowditch presented the project in the seminar. The graduate seminar visited our lab and then presented their research to the lab. 
  • April 2022: Presented a 40-minute work-in-progress of Anthropocene to 15 invited guests and held a Critical Response Process feedback session.
  • April 2022: Presented research and images for Earth Week at the Global Futures Laboratory's Center for Planetary Health.  
  • Attended Earth Week lectures and events including a keynote by Al Gore. 
  • Built and formed strategic relationships and partnerships with Global Futures Laboratory faculty including Marty and Peggy Anderies.
  • June 2022: Invited by Leonardo Art + Science Journal to share a work-in-progress video at the Espronceda Institute of Art & Culture "Digital Awareness" June 9 - 17, in Barcelona, Spain to coincide with the ISEA 2022 Symposium. 
  • ISEA, International Symposium on Electronic Art, is one of the most important annual events worldwide dedicated to the crossroads where art, design, science, technology and society meet.

    Espronceda Institute of Art & Culture: https://www.espronceda.net/
    ISEA International Symposium of Electronic Art, 2022 Symposium: https://isea2022.isea-international.org/themes/#possibles

Phase Five: The design phase (Fall 2022)

  • Fall 2022: Design retreats with design team, composer, and choreographer.
  • Devising Research Lab II: Develop a performance score, create theatrical structure, and sequence of episodes with 12 participants. 
  • Dramaturgical/field research: Travel to sites to capture original video and sound recordings. Locations TBD. 
  • December 2022: Show a work-in-progress of Anthropocene to invited guests with a Critical Response Process. 
  • November 2022: Karen Jean Martinson, Rachel Bowditch, and Clara Kundin will lead a working group, "Performing the Anthropocene: Eco-Dramaturgical Approaches to the Climate Crisis" at ASTR in New Orleans. 


Phase Six: Devising lab III and casting the show (spring 2023)

  • Spring 2023: We will audition and cast a diverse company of dancers and performers to be participants in the 3rd devising research lab. 
  • Final designs and renderings due. 
  • Development of Educational Outreach programming, speaker series, and seminars. 
  • Development of physical and digital lobby materials focused on sustainable solutions and climate action. 


Phase Seven: First Public Showing (Fall 2023)

  • Rehearse and stage the show
  • Build costumes and set 
  • Implement final designs
  • Phoenix Premiere November 2023: produce a 90 minute high-impact, visual devised performance
  • Launch digital and physical lobby 
  • Launch community outreach platform with educational K-12 programming
  • Host a Climate Change speaker series and post-show discussions


Phase 8: Beyond Arizona (Spring 2023 and beyond)

  • Continue to develop the show and educational programming to bring to a national and international audience 
  • Publishing a Dramaturgical Production Notebook about the eco-dramaturgical process of the project. 

Anthropocene Project

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