Democracy Improv
Presents
Climate Change...Help Wanted
an intimate evening of theatre
(without a play)
on global warming

Bellingham Theatre Event Explores Global Warming: Climate Change...Help Wanted, an intimate evening of theatre (without a play) on global warming, to be performed at WWU's Arntzen Hall 100 (Tuesday, March 12, and Sunday, March 16) and The Firehouse Performing Arts Center (Thursday, March 13), all shows at 7:30 p.m.. Admission by donation (night of show).

Contact(s):

Adam Ward, Director and Host of Climate Change...Help Wanted (and founder and director of Democracy Improv), adam@democracyimprov.com, 360.739.7848.

Troy Abel, Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy, Troy.Abel@wwu.edu, 360.650.6133.

Wendy Walker, Visiting Assistant Professor, wwalker@cc.wwu.edu, 360.650.3504.
March 5, 2008

BELLINGHAM - Climate Change...Help Wanted, an intimate evening of theatre (without a play) on global warming, directed and hosted by Adam Ward, of Democracy Improv, to perform three times at two venues in Bellingham: (1) Wednesday, March 12, 7:30 p.m., at Arntzen Hall 100 at Western Washington University; (2) Thursday, March 13, 7:30 p.m. at The Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1314 Harris Ave, in Historic Fairhaven; and, (3) Sunday, March 16, 7:30 p.m., at Arntzen Hall 100 at WWU. Admission by donation (night of show).

Climate Change....Help Wanted, a Democracy Improv production, explores the hidden dramas people face in overcoming behaviors and values that harm the planet.

"There isn't much mystery about climate change having a big effect on our lives," said Wendy Walker, a visiting assistant professor of Environmental Studies, at the Huxley College of the Environment and co-sponsor of the performances at Western. "The questions are: How? and What can we do about it? The show Climate Change... Help Wanted can help us generate answers via creativity and community action. I like the idea of combining the arts and a sense of play with problem solving."

"Audiences can expect three things from Climate Change...Help Wanted," said Adam Ward, the director and host of the theatre piece and founder of Democracy Improv. "First, the evening uses a lot of humor and improvisational elements to explore this serious topic. You can expect to laugh and be entertained. Second, since the piece involves input from the audience, you can expect to learn things about the issue (from other members of the audience). Third, you will have access to people and organizations to help you make change after you leave the theatre. The piece is fun, informative, and relevant to real world challenges."

"Many individuals continue to look for leadership from our governments, politicians and scientists for solutions to climate change," said Troy Abel, an assistant professor of Environmental Studies, at the Huxley College of the Environment, and co-sponsor of the performances at Western. "This play can help students and citizens see their own role in taking actions that are good for the planet."

Ward and his colleagues are far from alone in their efforts to use theatre to rehearse grassroots responses to climate change. On March 16, 2008, 50 theatre groups around the world (in 44 cities in 23 countries) will each host a theatre events about climate change during the same 24 hour period.

"People attending the March 16th performance at Arntzen Hall 100 at Western will be participants in the first-ever international day of theatre action on global warming," said Ward. "On the same day we perform in Bellingham, there will be climate change theatre projects going on in Australia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Brazil, The Netherlands, Italy, Wales, Serbia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, England, Austria, France, Turkey, Croatia, Moldova, Canada, the United States, and in Mozambique and Burkina Faso, in Africa."

Adam Ward, of Bellingham, conceived the idea of an international day of theatre action on climate change in December of 2007. Ward then proposed the international day of action to his colleague David Diamond, the Artistic Director of Headlines Theatre, in Vancouver, Canada. Diamond and Headlines Theatre, international leaders in the issue-based theatre movement, liked Ward's idea and integrated it into their spring series on climate change, "2 Degrees of Fear and Desire." Now, a short four months later, the collaboration between Ward and Headlines Theatre has sparked an international day of action on five continents.

"The March 16 international theatre event has taken on a life of its own," said Ward. "Theatre artists are collaborating with environmental groups in their own communities on all five major continents. Locally, partnering with faculty members from Huxley and off-campus environmental activists and organizations like The Firehouse gives us the opportunity to hold a rich community-based dialogue on the issue, a dialogue in the uniquely image rich and emotionally compelling language of theatre. We hope it is entertaining, but we have a bigger hope--that the show is useful to people in their lives."

The performance schedule is as follows:

Wed. March 12, 7:30 p.m.--Climate Change...Help Wanted at Arntzen Hall 100 at Western Washington University. An intimate evening of theatre (without a play) on global warming, directed and hosted by Adam Ward, of Democracy Improv. Admission by donation (night of show).

Thur. March 13, 7:30 p.m.--Climate Change...Help Wanted at The Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1314 Harris Ave, in Historic Fairhaven. An intimate evening of theatre (without a play) on global warming, directed and hosted by Adam Ward, of Democracy Improv. A limited number of advance ticket for this venue are on sale at Village Books, 360.671.2626 ($15 per ticket). All other tickets are by donation (night of show).

Sun. March 16, 7:30 p.m.--Climate Change...Help Wanted at Arntzen Hall 100 at Western Washington University. An intimate evening of theatre (without a play) on global warming, directed and hosted by Adam Ward, of Democracy Improv. A participating production in the March 16, 2008 Jokers' International Day of Action on Global Warming. Admission by donation (night of show).

For more information on Climate Change...Help Wanted (including a link to the full list of international participants and access to a print friendly graphic for the March 16th international event), please visit the web at www.democracyimprov.com.

Note on the term Joker: A "Joker" is the term used to describe a person who facilitates, hosts, and/or directs theatrical events using the techniques invented by the Nobel Peace Prize nominated Brazilian theatre director, author, and teacher, Augusto Boal. The March 16, 2008 international theatre action on global warming takes place on Boal's 77th birthday as a tribute to his contributions to world theatre. Adam Ward trained with Augusto Boal in London (2006) and New York (2007).