Tues 10 Sept 16.30 – 18.00
Rowe Beddoe Theatre
Based on Arcola’s creative science education workshops World Stage Design 2013 brings you an engineering and design challenge – how far can your Lego car go on a limited amount of hydrogen? Using customised designed Lego kits and hydrogen fuel cells, this session looks at efficient design and low-carbon alternatives.
Arcola Theatre http://www.arcolatheatre.com
Feimatta Conteh
Dr. Ben Todd
Mon 9 Sept 16.30 – 18.00
The Willow Theatre
We’re learning how to design shows, stages and buildings for sustainability – but what about our networks? How can we design festivals, conferences, action groups, federations – all of art’s ecosystems – for social change and sustainability? We’ll discuss what it might take to change a community, a sector and a world – and how art’s unique power to infect and inspire can and must be a vital driver of change.
Price: £6
Ben Twist -Â http://www.creativecarbonscotland.com
Harry Giles -Â http://www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk
You still have one week to catch the shortlisted shows for the Sustainable Production Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. If you haven’t caught the list of productions which have stood out to our team of Judges, here are all 23.
If you’re in Edinburgh this week and want to join us for the awards ceremony on Friday the 23rd at 4:00 pm at Fringe Central, make your free reservation here:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/4274573364
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1,000 SunsFor a teenager what’s worse? Growing up in America? Or growing up after America? Five young people face the struggles of their post-nuclear lives, in a wasteland that was once America, after the Cold War turned hot. They strive to overcome the oppressive authority of their parents and teachers, the hopelessness of the crater that they call home, and a dark sickness that threatens everything they hold dear. |
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 All roads lead to RomeChris has lovingly repaired his family Triumph Herald Estate so that he can drive it from his home in Colchester to Rome. Part investigation into his father’s account of his time as a Polish soldier in the Italian Campaign and part muse on consumerism, this show brings together car mechanics, classical civilisation and the fetishisation of possessions in a solo performance using old photos, new film and surprising mechanical objects. A feast of razor-sharp observations and bizarre confessions extending beyond the immediate subject matter to grasp at universal truths. Total Theatre, Poland 3, Iran 2. |
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The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea ExplorerSeas have risen, billions have died. Alvin Sputnik is our only hope. He must venture to the bottom of the ocean to find his wife’s lost soul and save humanity. Direct from sell-out seasons in New York, Sydney and Auckland, this multi award-winning piece of heart-warming ‘theatrical magic’ (Sunday Mail) is a one-man micro epic about enduring love and the end of the world. ‘Akin to a theatrical Wall-E’ (New York Times). Winner, Outstanding Solo Show, New York International Fringe Festival. Winner, Best Theatre Production, Auckland Fringe. Winner, Best Puppetry, Adelaide Fringe. |
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Angus – Weaver of GrassAngus MacPhee’s life is a tale of illness, lost traditions and magical hats of grass, stunning like sunbursts. Raised on South Uist, and traumatised by WWII, Angus spent 50 years in a psychiatric hospital. He did not speak; instead he wove remarkable costumes from grass which feature in the Collection de l’Art Brut, Switzerland. Featuring beautiful Gaelic singing and grass replicas by Joanne B Kaar. Using sounds, songs and images of the Outer Hebrides, this is his tale. ‘Physical, emotional and aural beauty… their collective artistry is awesome.’ (Stage). www.horseandbamboo.org |
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Faustus the MusicalEven the best and wisest amongst us do things we later regret… Under the bleak skyline of the industrial revolution, a company assembles to pass judgement on the greatest of a generation. In this gritty, steampunk-inspired retelling of the classic, an ensemble of actor-musicians and puppets bring to life the fall of John Faustus. In the bowels of the industrial revolution, change is brewing. A particular kind of hunger is bubbling inside one of the world’s most powerful minds, and when an offer is made that promises to satisfy that hunger, he makes a choice. A bargain. With the devil. |
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FlownFlying drum kits, levitating ironing boards and swinging divas. Welcome to the world of the unexpected! Irreverent and silly, bold and breathtaking, take flight with Flown for a captivating afternoon at the circus. A stunning troupe of masterful acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians and stuntmen are putting on a show for you. The problem is, the show has already started and no one is prepared. Taking you to dizzying heights and beyond, Pirates of the Carabina invite you to share in the thrills, fear and physical feats that define the life of a 21st-century circus artist. |
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The GardenThe Garden tells the tale of a couple living on the 10th floor of a high rise block, at a time when humanity has run out of resources, who discover hope in the form of a strange tree that grows through the floor of their kitchen. ‘Compelling performances … astonishingly expressive vocal lines’ **** (Scotsman). ‘An astonishingly moving portrait of a loving couple at the end of their tether’ (Joyce McMillan, Scotsman, for the original play). Cast: Pauline Knowles, Alan McHugh, Libretto/Direction: Zinnie Harris, Composer: John Harris. Commissioned by Sound Festival. First sell-out performances in Aberdeen, 2012. www.patersonsland.co.uk |
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Garden O’ DelightJourney back in time and join magical creatures who live in this beautiful world. But someone wants to destroy it forever. Outside, promenading, interactive family fun with an ecological theme. Music by John Sampson. |
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The Gypsybird SpeaksDark times have befallen the forest clearing where a journalist, a director, a painter, and a witch lament the lost Philena. Devoured by the gypsy moths, the forest crumbles slowly as the mysterious prophet Asphodel draws near. Entwined in the forest mythology the characters delve deep into one another’s psyche, a magnetism they are powerless to avoid. Fresh new writing in the spirit of the Brothers Grimm, for grown-ups. |
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How to Occupy an Oil RigThere are all sorts of lessons to be learned in life. How to get served at the bar. How to crash a boardroom meeting. How to avoid becoming romantically attached to an undercover police officer. That sort of thing. In this playful and provocative show about protest, you’ll learn how to do all of this and more. Funny, surprising, and not a little sad, How to Occupy an Oil Rig is for everyone who ever wanted to change anything. And that’s everyone. You get to play with plasticine, too. Produced by ARC Stockton. |
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Hunt and Darton CafeThe award-winning interactive performance/installation and fully-functioning cafe returns! Expect a playful exploration into customer expectation, where food, service and business are the art. Festival staples, includes the sensational signature dish, the roast dinner sandwich which can be found on the menu alongside Coco-Pops, Battenberg and beans on toast. With guest waiters, themed days and activities such as their much loved Not Great Bake-off. We are here to serve. Prepare for appetites to be satisfied in more ways than one. ‘A must-visit Fringe experience’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Holly Darton and Jenny Hunt are wowing the Fringe’ (Observer). |
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Island State2046. Great Britain is underwater, except for one tiny island with a population of two: Marilyn (28, ruthless survivalist) and Josie (17, childlike). They don’t get on. A new darkly comic play about national identity, friendship and tennis, Island State is the story of two women’s struggle to keep going in the face of environmental catastrophe. ‘Quirky, dark and ultimately surprising … a striking portrayal of human nature and all its intricacies’ **** (DurhamTheatreReview.com). Winner: Best New Writing and Best Actress, Durham Drama Festival 2013. |
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L’après-midi d’un Foehn – Version 1This is the moment that the real life of the plastic bag begins its own life without us. An ethereal and magical performance art piece, accompanied by the classic Debussy music. A ballet mistress has created a piece of choreography performed by plastic dancers, propelled by currents of air on the lyrical music. The piece transports the viewers, sitting on the stage, to a world where the laws of gravity no longer exist and boundless adventures await. A beautiful journey that ignites the imagination. |
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Last LandLast Land is inspired by frozen plains and dusty desert majesty. Maria Nilsson Waller reconstructs the vast scale and unpredictability of these contrasting landscapes in a highly physical, poetic work that invites us to consider the urgency of tectonic movement and the accelerating rhythms of nature and climate change. In award-winning Fabrizio Favale’s solo, Il gioco del gregge di capre, the dynamics of goats flocking are seen and re-imagined with the clashing of horns and the crashing of hooves. |
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One Giant LeapAn impossible attempt to bring the whole universe into a theatre and into our understanding, using a tennis ball, a wastepaper basket and a dash of theatrical invention. Iain Johnstone’s passionate solo performance about the relationship between humanity and the heavens is full of facts and awkward questions. Funny and serious, intelligent and silly, theatre and lecture, cosmic and personal, One Giant Leap asks us to think – about what we take for granted and about what we choose to ignore. www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com |
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Ours Was the Fen CountryFor the past two years Dan Canham (DV8 / Kneehigh / Punchdrunk) has been capturing conversations with people of the Fens, East Anglia. Eel-catchers, farmers, parish councillors, conservationists have all been interviewed. In this ethereal piece of documentary dance/theatre, Dan and his ensemble fuse movement and sound with words and memories from their native collaborators to get to the heart of this mysterious expanse of flat land, celebrating universal stories of rural communities fading from view. Exhilarating, poetic look at the inevitability of change from the voices of those who still know the old words. |
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Pigmalion ZooIn a decrepit and bankrupt city, God’s body was found dead in a Sainsbury’s car park. Since then, the annual Holy PG Tips competition has been held allowing citizens to audition to become the new God. Pigmalion is training his daughter to seduce God, believing He will come back from the dead and marry her. The play descends into the distorted perversion of building a family when all external structures have failed. Harrowing, dauntless, and deeply moving – Pigmalion Zoo doesn’t hesitate to expose the dangerous side of desire as it slowly corrupts nature itself. |
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The Price of everythingHow much is beauty worth? What will people pay for an air guitar on eBay? Can I have a glass of milk? These urgent questions and others are answered in this performance lecture about value. Daniel Bye’s whistle-stop tour of bizarre facts and impassioned arguments is occasionally shambolic and often misleading but always a joy to watch. Comic, provocative and possibly a tiny bit sad, this show is a must if you’ve ever wondered about the difference between the price of an object and its value. And you get a free glass of milk. |
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Sacred EarthRagamala’s Artistic Directors Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy create visceral, universal experiences that use Indian dance (Bharatanatyam) to express their contemporary point of view. Sacred Earth explores the interconnectedness between human emotions and the environments that shape them. Inspired by the philosophies behind the ephemeral arts of Kolam and Warli and the Tamil Sangam literature of India, Sacred Earth is Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy’s singular vision of the beautiful, fragile relationship between nature and man. Performed with live music; featuring guest Warli artist Anil Vangad. ‘Rapturous and profound … an excellent company’ (New York Times). |
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The Smallest LightWhat makes something worth standing up for? Can I change the world from my living room? What if I’m protesting, my costume rips and a picture of me naked ends up going viral? Inspired by courageous protesters who risk everything for what they believe in, four women find quirky ways to effect change in the world around them. Charting the performers attempts to stand up for what they believe in, The Smallest Light uses exciting visual storytelling to tell four explosive stories about what it is that makes us act. |
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Somnambules & the 7 Deadly SinsAre you ready for the experiment? Who’s next? Internationally renowned multiple award-winning performers Tanya Khabarova (Derevo) and Yael Karavan (Karavan Ensemble) invite you on an epic voyage into the mysteries of what we are made of, transporting us through archetypes, icons and the ancestors within us. Step into the laboratory for a spectacular journey through astonishing imagery, time and art – a feast for the eyes and mind. ‘Beautiful, extraordinary – a match made in heaven … an intoxicating play between two magnetic performers’. Total Theatre. ‘A dynamic performance that blew everyone away.’ Latest 7 **** |
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Sweater Curse: A Yarn about LoveFrom Dallas, Texas, comes this smart solo comedy about love, old movies, great literature and unfinished jumpers. Like craft night with more laughs! Nora Ephron with needles! `Don’t talk to me about acrylic yarn,’ says writer/performer Elaine Liner, ‘it’s cheap and loud, like the Real Housewives of Atlanta.’ Knit and crochet during a show (yes, bring your stuff!) that’ll have you in stitches. Come early to the knit-in and add rows to the travelling scarf. Afternoon performance in air-conditioned venue. Suitable for all ages. `Elaine’s hilarious stories add up to a well-spun yarn’ (TheaterJones.com). |
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Total Hero TeamNew two-man musical from the people behind Dinosaur Planet, Hey Hey 16K and Moon Horse, featuring superheroes, robots, pirates, kittens and a free badge. ‘Like two drunk dads getting up and singing at a barbecue’ (BBC Radio 1). |
Mon 9 Sept 14.30 – 16.00
The Willow Theatre
In this seminar, we will have a closer look behind the scenes of a theatre with a strong focus on an environmental management approach. Life-cycle-analyses are one of the major topics, including background information and practical examples of their application in theatres. Doing (environmentally) good in a theatre is important but it helps (the theatre world) even more to talk about it!
Environmental reporting being the tool of choice, we will scrutinize it for application in a theatre environment.
Open to all.
Price: £6
Key contributors
Dr. Annett Baumast
http://www.kultur-und-nachhaltigkeit.ch
Mon 9 Sept 11.30 – 13.00
Simon Gibson studio
White Light is one the UK’s leading lighting suppliers and as such, their customers use a lot of electricity.  This presentation will try and discover what the real impact of stage lighting is and whether the tungsten light bulb should be banned.
The presentation will be followed by a question & answer session with guest panelists to answer some of the questions raised.
View the White Light Green guide
Tues 10 Sept 16.30 – 18.00
The Willow Theatre
The appropriation of old buildings for the arts has produced some of the most inspiring and dynamic spaces for live performance in the world. From Bochum to Brooklyn, old buildings have proven that they make ideal spaces for theatrical innovation. Adaptive reuse has also been recognized as a key component of sustainable development and green building. In this session, we’ll bring together three of the world’s foremost practitioners in adaptive reuse for live performance for a far-reaching discussion about this complex phenomenon.
Who should attend?
Open to all: especially directors, designers and architects.
Price: £6
Katie Oman Moderator –Senior Consultant, Arts Consulting Group.
Jean-Guy Lecat -Â Director, Studio JGLecat.
Andy Hayles – Managing Partner, Charcoalblue
Jean Nicholson – General Manager, Birmingham Opera Company
Stand-up comedy merges with poetic metaphor as the production unpacks the unspoken fears that we keep hidden away and confronts the reality of a world on the brink of profound irreversible change.
This is a theatrical event of contrasts and revelations and sets sustainability in the context of simple, everyday activities and events and provokes us to look at our own lives in a new way.
Challenging, hilarious and passionate, the spoken word is woven into a symphony of startling images and illuminating film clips that feature and celebrate the diversity of the human condition and the tireless work of local activists who in the face of fear, offer hope. Who’s afraid? We all should be but especially climate change deniers and cats!
A Multi Media Performance by Rhodri Hugh Thomas in Collaboration With Carolina Vasquez Based on the poem and art work “Who’s Afraid?†by Susan Richardson and Pat Gregory.
This production has been made possible by a development grant from the Arts Council of Wales.
Open to all.
This performance has travelled to World Stage Design 2013 from within the UK.
THURS 5 SEPT 18.30 BOOK TICKETS
FRI 6 SEPT 13.30 BOOK TICKETS
FRI 6 SEPT 18.30 BOOK TICKETS
This post comes to you from the Broadway Green Alliance
by John Curvan and Danielle Heckman
Backstage at BILLY ELLIOT on Broadway.
As of October 2008, the Broadway company of WICKED switched from using regular alkaline batteries to nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeables in all of their wireless microphones. Â They alternate between two sets of rechargeables to allow sufficient time for recharging. Â These two sets of rechargeables generally last for ten months.
There are many ‘green’ benefits from using these batteries. With the old alkaline batteries, they used 38 AA’s per show. This resulted in 15,808 used batteries per year.  Now they only need to dispose of 96 NiMH batteries each year.  This will reduce, over the next five years, 78,560 batteries from entering the waste stream.  That works out to 3,959 lbs of solid waste – just a bit less than two tons!
The new batteries are also mercury-free, cadmium-free and lead-free.  They are in compliance with the European Union’s stricter RoHS standard (the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment).
The last green benefit is money.  They pay 29¢ for each alkaline AA battery.  That works out to $4,742 every year. The NiMH batteries are $2.65 per cell, and require five rechargers for $66.97 each.  Rechargeables cost $589.25 the first year and $254.40 each subsequent (each year they need new cells but not new chargers); this will save $22,103.15 over five years.
Julie’s Bicycle reports that rechargeable batteries have 32 times less impact on the environment (global warming, air & water pollution) than disposable batteries throughout their lifecycle, and that one rechargeable can replace 93 disposables.  The end result, of course, is that finite natural resources are reused, and the release of harmful chemicals (such as lead, mercury and cadmium) from improper disposal is prevented.
Add up the benefits – reliability, cost savings, greener profiles, and less pollution and waste – and it’s easy to see why better batteries is one of the wisest sustainability choices a production can make – and why theatres from as far away as Australia are reaching out to the BGA for information about how they too can go greener.
For more information, please look at our website BroadwayGreen.com, or email green@broadway.org with specific questions.
Broadway Shows Using Rechargable Batteries:Â
The Broadway Green Alliance was founded in 2008 in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) is an ad hoc committee of The Broadway League and a fiscal program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Along with Julie’s Bicycle in the UK, the BGA is a founding member of the International Green Theatre Alliance. The BGA has reached tens of thousands of fans through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other media.
At the BGA, we recognize that it is impossible to be 100% “green†while continuing activity and – as there is no litmus test for green activity – we ask instead that our members commit to being greener and doing better each day. As climate change does not result from one large negative action, but rather from the cumulative effect of billions of small actions, progress comes from millions of us doing a bit better each day. To become a member of the Broadway Green Alliance we ask only that you commit to becoming greener, that you name a point person to be our liaison, and that you will tell us about your green-er journey.
The BGA is co-chaired by Susan Sampliner, Company Manager of the Broadway company of WICKED, and Charlie Deull, Executive Vice President at Clark Transfer<. Rebekah Sale is the BGA’s full-time Coordinator.
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This post comes to you from the Broadway Green Alliance
Expanding Plastics
Mayor Bloomberg at the press launch of Broadway Goes Green.
by Noah Aberlin
Get ready to add all rigid plastics to your recycling bin-
NYC has expanded the residential recycling stream.
On April 24th Mayor Bloomberg announced that NYC will now recycle all rigid plastics. These newly included items go in the same clear bag or blue bin where all glass, metal, aseptic packaging (juice boxes, soy milks), and plastic bottles currently go.
Rigid plastics include yogurt cups, toys, hangers, cookie tray inserts, plastic cups, food containers, and more. Bloomberg said at a press meeting, “Starting today, if it’s a rigid plastic – any rigid plastic – recycle it…This means that 50,000 tons of plastics that we were sending to landfills every year will now be recycled and it will save taxpayers almost $600,000 in export costs each year.â€
This announcement coincides with the development of the new recycling plant being built by the Sunset Park waterfront in Brooklyn, which will be the largest household recycling plant in North America. Because it takes 70 percent less energy to make plastic from recycled plastics instead of raw materials, it’s going to help further reduce the city’s carbon footprint. New York City will not only become more sustainable but will also create 100 jobs at the new plant. Plus, it will be powered by one of the largest solar installations in the city.
Keep a lookout for new recycling decals and posters that should be mailed to residences soon and remember it is recommended that New Yorkers should rinse out all containers before sorting them in recycling bins. While these new rules do not effect commercial recycling (i.e.: at the theatres) they do include the new Solar Big Belly public recycling bins that have been sited around town. There are 30 in the Times Square area so please seek them out and use them.
To recycle plastic bags, many supermarkets and drug stores have special collection bins. Film plastic (plastic wrap) does not recycle.
For more information and a detailed list of all recyclable materials visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/home/home.shtml
The Broadway Green Alliance was founded in 2008 in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) is an ad hoc committee of The Broadway League and a fiscal program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Along with Julie’s Bicycle in the UK, the BGA is a founding member of the International Green Theatre Alliance. The BGA has reached tens of thousands of fans through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other media.
At the BGA, we recognize that it is impossible to be 100% “green†while continuing activity and – as there is no litmus test for green activity – we ask instead that our members commit to being greener and doing better each day. As climate change does not result from one large negative action, but rather from the cumulative effect of billions of small actions, progress comes from millions of us doing a bit better each day. To become a member of the Broadway Green Alliance we ask only that you commit to becoming greener, that you name a point person to be our liaison, and that you will tell us about your green-er journey.
The BGA is co-chaired by Susan Sampliner, Company Manager of the Broadway company of WICKED, and Charlie Deull, Executive Vice President at Clark Transfer<. Rebekah Sale is the BGA’s full-time Coordinator.
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Post by Jennifer Marik, Wicked Stage Manager
Printing your own stuffers in house as needed, rather than ordering them in bulk in advance, saves a lot of money, is very eco-friendly and is very easy! At Wicked, we have a high-speed copier, an industrial paper cutter and a cabinet full of 100% recycled paper. With just these tools, we are able to generate a stuffer for each performance – including bios and headshots for new performers and all of the necessary cast replacements. If it is just a bio, or two or three replacements, we are able to print eight inserts to a page (which at the Gershwin is 225 copies per show). If we need to include more information, we can generally put it on a four-up (450 copies per show). On very rare occasions, we need to print three stuffers to a page to accommodate multiple bios, headshots and replacements. Depending on the number of copies, we can usually print the stuffers in about ten minutes and cutting the stuffers takes less than five. We have templates set up in the computer (which prints directly to the copier), so we are able to quickly modify the stuffer each evening when we do our paperwork at hour before half hour. Our ushers generally have the inserts in hand 15 minutes after that.
WICKED has been a partner of the BGA since its founding.
What if the copier goes down at an inopportune moment? Or what if an actor calls out at the last minute? We keep one show of each cast replacement option in our emergency stuffer stash, so we are able to cover these contingencies. And if the copier were to go down on a two-show day, or over the weekend (which has happened almost never), we would use Staples or Kinko’s for subsequent shows.
In an effort to be even greener, we do not cut the emergency stuffers ahead of time. With the paper cutter, if we need to use them, we can cut them very quickly. If we don’t use them and the actor leaves the company, we end up recycling only a total of 200-500 pieces of paper per actor leaving the company – we can use them for printing in/outs, scrap paper, etc. What used to happen instead was that we’d have to get rid of 7200 small pieces of paper per actor leaving – and more if they covered multiple parts. One bonus of this system is that we no longer need to store hundreds of stacks of stuffers that might never be used.
In addition to being a greener way to do stuffers, and being much easier for the stage managers, printing your own stuffers saves money – a lot of it. Wicked saves about $5000 a month: just by making a one-time purchase of that industrial paper cutter and a monthly rental of the high-speed copier. And an added bonus to having the high speed copier – we can generate scripts and scores on demand in-house as well, which even saves us more money.
Broadway Shows using GREENER Stuffers:
The Broadway Green Alliance was founded in 2008 in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) is an ad hoc committee of The Broadway League and a fiscal program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Along with Julie’s Bicycle in the UK, the BGA is a founding member of the International Green Theatre Alliance. The BGA has reached tens of thousands of fans through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other media.
At the BGA, we recognize that it is impossible to be 100% “green†while continuing activity and – as there is no litmus test for green activity – we ask instead that our members commit to being greener and doing better each day. As climate change does not result from one large negative action, but rather from the cumulative effect of billions of small actions, progress comes from millions of us doing a bit better each day. To become a member of the Broadway Green Alliance we ask only that you commit to becoming greener, that you name a point person to be our liaison, and that you will tell us about your green-er journey.
The BGA is co-chaired by Susan Sampliner, Company Manager of the Broadway company of WICKED, and Charlie Deull, Executive Vice President at Clark Transfer<. Rebekah Sale is the BGA’s full-time Coordinator.
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