Albert A. Oyl: Clinton Carew
Tivo: Tim Hamaguchi
The Actor, a.k.a Clinton Carew: Garett Spelliscy
Video Players: Cole Humeny & Melissa Thingelstad
Chorus: Themselves* (see below)
Written & Directed by: Ian Leung
Stage Manager: Anna Davidson
Set & Lighting Design: Guido Tondino & Victoria Zimski
Costume Design: Tata Tuviera
Sound & Composer: Matthew Skopyk
Fight Director: Patrick Howarth
Choreographer: Amber Borotsik
Dramaturg: Kim McCaw
Video Consultant: Mel Geary
Video Editors: Mike McLaughlin, Ian Leung, aAron munson & Clinton Carew
Camera: Mike McLaughlin & Clinton Carew
Motion Graphics: POCO
Electrics & Stage Carpentry: Matt Latimer & Erik Martin
Audio Visual Technician: Terri Grant
Set & Props Painting & Upholstery: Julie Bequart
Promotion: Catch the Keys Productions
Producers: Ian Leung & Melissa Thingelstad (theatre no. 6)
A Canadian Actors’ Equity Association production under the Indie Production Policy.
…counts as one of the season’s most challenging and provocative pieces…
Theatre Critic / Edmonton Journal
Very funny and insightful…Bravo!
Audience Member
…broaches the climate change debate in new and innovative ways…
Arts Critic / Vue Weekly Magazine
…an innovative multimedia comedy/documentary that tackles the defining issue of our time.
Theatre Critic / Edmonton Journal
…an allegorical narrative woven through a dizzying patchwork of song, dance, interview, audience interactions and videos that get deep into the climate change discussion.
Arts Critic / Vue Weekly Magazine
…it’s startling to see a probing play with a surplus. We can see skimpy any old night.
Theatre Critic / Edmonton Journal
The interviews…are interesting, and at times hilariously un-P.C.
Arts Critic / Vue Weekly Magazine
Weird crazy ass shit show! Fun and funny and right + wrong = made sense in the way global warming issues do. Ya!
Audience Member
It’s clever and, in its best moments, pretty much earns the phrase — and I mean this in the best possible way — “edutainment”.
Arts Critic / Vue Weekly Magazine
The performances…are all conversational, unforced but vivid.
Theatre Critic / Edmonton Journal
Clinton Carew…Garett Spelliscy…Tim Hamaguchi…they’re vibrant and engaging on stage with all of the material.
Arts Critic / Vue Weekly Magazine
U: The Comedy of Global Warming is a multi-media play that humourously combines documentary film with live theatre. It’s primarily intended as entertainment, but it was also created to raise awareness about climate change and to encourage action to prevent it.
At first presenting itself as a television show about global warming hosted by an actor-narrator and taped in front of a live audience, U abruptly shifts focus to an episodic fable about an oil executive who brings a climate change refugee to Canada. Over the course of the play the TV show and the fable interweave and eventually collide – with catastrophic results.
U‘s documentary aspect is made up of excerpts of video recorded interviews featuring Albertan scientists, politicians, activists and regular citizens talking about climate change. The production also features performances and work by some of Edmonton’s best theatre and media artists.
U ran from December 11-20, 2009 in the Media Room of the Fine Arts Building at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Its performance dates roughly coincided with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (December 7-18, 2009).
U: The Comedy of Global Warming was presented by theatre no. 6 from December 11 – 20, 2009 in the Media Room (now the Bleviss Laboratory Theatre) of the Fine Arts Building at the University of Alberta.
Dates:
December 11 – 20, 2009
8:00 pm Tuesday to Sunday
2:00 pm matinee on Sundays
8:00 pm preview December 10
Venue:
Media Room
Fine Arts Building
University of Alberta
(Corner of 88th Avenue & 112th Street)
Tickets:
Cash at the door or via TIX on the Square*
$20.00: Regular
$15.00: Senior/Student/Artist
$17.00/$13.00: Preview, December 10
PWYC: Sunday evenings
*for TIX on the Square purchases add $1.75 service fee
The Scientists:
Dr. Suzanne Bayley, Zoology, University of Alberta
Dr. Andrew Derocher, Zoology, University of Alberta
Vicki Sahanatien, Doctoral Candidate, Zoology, University of Alberta
Dr. Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa, Ecologist, Earth Sciences, University of Alberta
Dr. David Schindler, Zoology, University of Alberta
Dr. Martin Sharp, Glaciologist & Chair of Earth Sciences, University of Alberta
Dr. Colleen Cassady St. Clair, Zoology, University of Alberta
The Activists:
Mary Griffiths, former Pembina Institute Senior Researcher
Mike Hudema, Tar Sands Activist, Greenpeace
Mike Kennedy, Senior Economist, Pembina Institute
Gordon Laxer, Director, Parkland Institute
The Politicians:
Laurie Blakeman, M.L.A. Edmonton-Centre
Linda Duncan, M.P. Edmonton-Strathcona
Ben Henderson, Edmonton City Councillor Ward 8
Don Iveson, Edmonton City Councillor Ward 5
Rachel Notley, M.L.A. Edmonton Strathcona
Kevin Taft, M.L.A. Edmonton Riverview
Concerned Citizens:
Alex Bramm, University Student
Holly Cinnamon, University Student
Leslea Kroll, Playwright & Activist
Mandy Stewart, University Student
Chris Turner, Author & Journalist
Interview dates: March – April 2009.
Interviewer: Ian Leung
Cameraman: Mike McLaughlin