http://madison.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/17308

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The sender writes:
Please tell anyone who is interested in contributing to this event to
write their check out to Human Nature (a non-profit org.), and send it to
Mike Neuman at 4334 Waite Circle, Madison, 53711 by next week.  I had
hoped that our requests to Alliant Energy and Oscar Mayer (Kraft Foods)
corporations to contribute would bring something in.  Neither did, so now
we have to scramble.  Mike


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"What's Funny About Climate Change?" - The Play
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Wednesday, 21 April 2004
by Michael Neuman
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: 266-5428

Summary: "What's Funny About Climate Change?" is a play that will be showing at the 
Wisconsin Union Theater on Sunday afternoon, May 2nd. Described as "a lighthearted 
hour and a half on global warming on the demise of the natural world", the production 
is designed to entertain, move and motivate its audiences with humor, while informing 
them about one of the most serious issues of our time.

The play is the work of Human Nature, a theater company from Pertrolia, California 
whose principle writers and actors, David Simpson and Jane Lapiner, met in the 1970's 
while working with the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Since 1985 Human Nature has been 
creating theater which takes on critical environmental and social issues, while 
suggesting solutions that people can live with.

The origins of the play go back to 1997, when David Simpson and Jane Lapiner, the 
creators of Human Nature, became aware that one of the primary fears of Inuit people, 
inhabitants of Canada's Northwest Territory, was a problem the Inuits had little to do 
with causing: global warming. They were sensing increased melting of the Arctic area 
where they lived, even back then. Upon learning of that, Simpson and Lapiner decided 
to put the phrase "Think Globally, Act Locally" into a theater piece on climate change.

"What's Funny" enlists the aid of a Raven, played by Joyful Simpson, who represents 
the animal world. She come to live with human beings in an attempt to convince them of 
the seriousness of what's happening to the earth's climate. Lapiner and Simpson 
represent the humans, becoming, among other things, a scientist who is a professional 
global warming skeptic (paid by fossil fuel industry), a New Age thinker, a 
Mafia-style environmental enforcer, a Washington bureaucrat and the president of the 
United States. 

Here's what well-known climate scientist and author Steven Schneider from Stanford 
University had to say following his viewing of the play last year: 

"The Human Nature review of global warming transforms a somber topic into great 
theatrical comedy. Zany, poignant and painlessly fact filled, it is a terrific 
introduction to some of the issues of climate change. David Simpson and Jane Lapiner 
once again demonstrate that the song can be mightier than the propaganda swords of 
polluting industries and Administrative ideologues."

The Madison area Preserve Our Climate Coalition is hosting the play. Following 
conclusion of the play, the actors and members of the coalition will engage the 
audience in a discussion of the issues and inspirations raised by the performance.

The play begins at 3:00 PM and is preceded by a "resource fair" where local 
organizations helping to bring the play to Madison will be displaying literature, 
giving away other items, and answering questions. Admission to the play is free to 
encourage all income levels to attend. (Suggested age is 16 years or older.) 

The performance of "What's Funny About Climate Change?" is being brought to the Union 
Theater by Preserve Our Climate Coalition, The Willy Street Co-op, the Sierra Club and 
the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, with sponsorship provided 
by The Gaylord Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies, and radio promotion provided 
by WORT-FM community sponsored radio. 

Repeat performances of the play are also scheduled in and around Madison: Spring Green 
(May 3), Stevens Point (May 5), and possibly one also in Milwaukee; in Madison, at 
East High. 

The event at the Wisconsin Union Theater is sponsored by the Gaylord Nelson Institute 
for Environmental Studies at the UW-Madison. The date for the Spring Green show is 
Monday evening, May 3rd at 7:30 pm at The Gard Theater, 127 E. Jefferson St., Spring 
Green. 

see also: 
http://www.treesfoundation.org/affiliates/update-70 
http://www.madison.com/communities/preserveourclimate
Madison IMC: http://madison.indymedia.org/
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