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the arctic is melting and everyone wants a piece of it « Mo`olelo Blog

Two years ago, thanks to a grant from The James Irvine Foundation, Mo`olelo commissioned playwright Chantal Bilodeau to write a play that explores the intersection of race, class and climate change. Originally from Montreal, Ms. Bilodeau was already researching the impact of climate change on the Inuit communities of the Canadian Arctic. This commission supported that work. As she traveled to the arctic and did further research, she encountered the complexities and contradictions of climate change: ice versus maritime commerce, human rights and activism colliding with family obligations, sovereignty colliding with sustainability. The result was a new play, Sila. The title, Sila, is an Inuit word for the breath of life, the primary component of everything that exists.

Mo`olelo workshopped the first draft of this script last year; Ms. Bilodeau and Mo`olelo’s Artistic Director Seema Sueko journeyed to Montreal in January of this year to workshop the script at Playwrights Workshop Montreal with Inuit and Quebecois actors; and we will now host the third and final workshop reading of this script on May 24. We invite you to join us. For those who saw the reading in 2010, the script has gone through significant adjustments, with some characters “being fired,” and a tightening of the story.

Details

What: a reading of Sila by Chantal Bilodeau

When:   Tuesday, May 24, 2011 with 5:15 PM Potluck reception & mingle with the artistic team and 6:00 PM Reading

Where: The 10th Avenue Theatre, 930 10th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101

Reservations: Space is limited. Email: tickets@moolelo.net or call 619-342-7395

Admission: Bring something to drink (bottle of wine, soda, whatever you fancy), food to share (cheese & crackers, hors d’oeuvre, or some other munchie), or make a $10 donation at the door.

www.moolelo.net

About the play:

The Arctic is melting and everyone wants a piece of it.

In the race to shape the future of the region, four characters – an ice scientist, an Inuit activist, an officer for the Marine Communications and Traffic Services and a polar bear – see their values challenged as their lives become intricately intertwined.

Tuesdays at the 10th: SILA from Mo`olelo

In June 2009, Mo`olelo received a two-year grant from The James Irvine Foundation to commission playwright Chantal Bilodeau to write  a new play that explores the intersection of race, class and climate change.

Chantal journeyed to the Canadian arctic in August 2009 and met with scientists and Inuit activists.

Please join us for a reading and discussion of the first draft of this play, currently titled Sila, on June 15. Your feedback will help Mo`olelo and the playwright as we continue to develop the script.

About the play:
The Arctic is melting and everyone wants a piece of it. In the race to shape the future of the region, four characters – an ice scientist, an Inuit activist, an officer for the Marine Communications and Traffic Services and a polar bear – see their values challenged as their lives become intricately intertwined. Mixing puppetry, projection, spoken word poetry and three different languages (English, French & Inuktitut), Silais a plea for increased collaboration in dealing with the big challenges of our time.

Directed by Seema Sueko
Featuring: Mike Sears, Jacob Bruce, Randy Reinholz, LaVonne Rae Andrews, Tonantzin Carmelo

When: Tuesday, May 25
5:15 PM Pre-reading munchies by Cooking 4 Life - Cooking-4-Life will be offering a free sampling of healthy vegetarian lasagna, delicious coleslaw salad and an opportunity to register for one of their free gourmet dinners in the lobby  of the theater before the reading.
6:00 PM Reading

Where: The 10th Avenue Theatre, 930 10th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101

Cost: FREE (Suggested donation of $5 at the door)

Reservations: Space is limited. RSVP at tickets@moolelo.net or 619-342-7395

Traffic & Parking: Please note that there is a 7:05 PM Padres game at Petco Park on June 15. We recommend arriving at the theater early, for the 5:15 PM reception to avoid the game day traffic. There is metered street parking around the building, and a $5 parking lot one block away at the northeast corner of 11th Avenue and E Street. The machine at this lot accepts Visa, Master Card and exact cash – please note on some game days the parking fee at this lot is raised to $10.