UFV Theatre plans to host its first production of the season, Climate Change Theatre Action, virtually from Nov. 25-27. Climate Change Theatre Action is a globally distributed theatre festival featuring an itinerary of 51 plays from playwrights across the world; the UFV Theatre department has chosen 10 of these 51 plays to present.
Director Elaine Ávila notes on the Eventbrite page that these plays were chosen “because they are deep and complex; I believed that the student actors, editors, and designers, and now you, our audiences, would enjoy contemplating them for a long time.”
Emmanuel Akpoviroro will be one of three actors starring in the series of 10 plays. He believes theatre can be a way to not only show people the effects of climate change, but to also bring about impactful realizations for community members in the Fraser Valley.
“A lot of people learn from watching … there’s a lot of people that have no idea about this stuff. It teaches people more about stuff that they might not have realized. It opens their eyes to what is happening around them.”
Climate change has become a seemingly endless roundtable of dialogue performed by policy makers, governments, and human rights organizations. But where these organizations fail, artists seek to fill the gap. This pressing issue has been heavy on the public mind for the last several years. In the Fraser Valley, it has been impossible to ignore as community members watch the Sumas Prairie flood, just months after a summer of wildfires.
“There is something that somebody used to say to me when I was younger; they say seeing is believing. When I see it, I will believe it,” said Akpoviroro regarding climate change.
The UFV Theatre department seeks to inspire viewers into conversation, community, and action around climate change through these plays. Ávila explains that the plays chosen are intended to inspire people to find new ways forward and include themes such as consultation between government and First Nations, the meaning of a true apology, and solving literary puzzles.
Creative solutions are needed to move forward, and that means that everyone must be included at the table, not just the policy makers and experts. Small, global communities are the ones that are most heavily affected by climate change, and solutions need to include these players’ inputs as well.
For actor Akpoviroro, who is originally from Nigeria, these places need to be considered: “Every place has it’s own story, you can’t forget the small places.”
After each of the plays, “Post-Performance Talkbacks” will give audience members a chance to ask questions and increase their understanding of the plays. These Talkbacks will be attended by guest playwrights including Angella Emurwon for the Nov. 25 performance, Dylan Van Den Berg for Nov. 26, and Yvette Nolan for the final performance on Nov. 27.
Free tickets are available through Eventbrite.
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.
