In May of this year, our research class assembled to tackle the subject of the climate crisis. The skies had turned orange; the air was hard to breathe. We began with a future scenario designed by Jane McGonigal in her book Imaginable: How to See the Future and Be Ready for Anything. Together we imagined a future where humans were planning to geo-engineer the climate, firing sulphate particles into the air to cool the planet by creating a 10-year winter. The class wrote reflections on how they would respond, what actions they would take, and whether they would vote for or against the proposed global solution.

The experience immersed us all in the process of imagining futures that might grow out of the crisis we were experiencing. The process inspired many thoughts, emotions, and debates that became the seed bed of the show you will see tonight. We explored the ideas of Adrienne Marie Brown’s book Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds. Brown advocates for activism that embraces the new sciences of chaos theory and emergence: the idea that complex patterns and systems are created through a multiplicity of simple actions and reactions, working in combination with each other, like ants in a hive.

Adrienne Maree Brown led us to the work of Octavia E. Butler, specifically her Earthseed novels: The Parable of the Sower, and the Parable of the Talents. The novels’ hero, Lauren Olamina, is a disabled, queer, Black woman living on this continent post climate apocalypse. Surviving is not enough for Olamina. She knows humans need more, they need a purpose, and she conceives of a new religion Earthseed to help bind the communities she creates together.

Her religion is not like other religions. It centres humanity’s agency in a natural world that is always changing. Nature is not kind or cruel, good or bad. It is an amoral force. Change is inevitable and irresistible: like death, like sunrise. Olamina’s philosophy demands that we face that truth, and we learn together how to shape change where and when we can.

At the outset of this process, many of us were overwhelmed by the weight of what is coming, by the possibility that it is too late to prevent climate collapse. Initial responses to our imagined future were dystopian, fuelled by feelings of hopelessness and despair. Many of us imagined ourselves clinging to the people they know, trying to survive together, or at least spend last precious moments with those they loved.

The great challenge of this project was to try and move beyond those feelings and imagine a future world we want to live in. Brown says: “Science fiction is simply a way to practice the future together,” and this is what I feel we have done in this project.

We invite you to join us in our future imaginings. The show is our collective response to the climate crisis. We have followed Brown’s advice to work with variety and complexity and avoid linear thinking. The structure of the show is inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s albums: To Pimp a Butterfly and good kid m.A.A.d city. I would like to personally acknowledge the ongoing influence of School of the Arts’ visiting artist, Cole Alvis (Two-Spirit, métis) and spoken word artist, Khasseniyo Williams (Haudenosaunee, Wolf Clan).

Nothing Remains the Same has been devised from scratch. We started with nothing in May. Devising theatre is a deeply collaborative process and nothing in this show is the product of one person alone. Everything has been worked through an iterative process founded on an emergent creative consensus.

I would like to personally thank everyone that has contributed to this process. Much work produced along the way has been laid aside but all of it played its role in moving the show into its present form. I appreciate the courage, creativity and generosity of each and every artist who has contributed to this production.

Peter Cockett

(in alphabetical order)

The cast are all volunteers in this project and the production team and the School of the Arts are deeply grateful for their work and commitment.

Ensemble:

Adrian de Jesus (he/him) Environmental Science
Annika Johnston (she/her) Integrated Arts
Chris Yanes (any) Integrated Arts
Elysse Baigent (she/her) Theatre and Film
Isaac Brennan (he/him) Integrated Arts
Kiara Barrow (he/they) Integrated Arts
Matt Bailey (he/him) Studio Arts
Megan Kolomeir (they/them) Integrated Arts
Vikaash Arunmozhi (he/him) Integrated Arts

Mycillae:

Avery Hart (they/them) MD Program
Cierra Benet (she/her) Media Arts
Enoyo Ebhonu (she/her) Political Science
Max Schaub (he/him) Kinesiology
Pippa MacDonald (she/her) Studio Arts 

Outsiders:

Ilonka: Agi Nemes (she/her) English and Classics
Ivy: Destiny Vickers (she/her) Integrated Arts
Atom: Ethan Abra (he/him) English 
Terra: Jessica Savage (she/her) Medical and Biological Physics 
Bassim: Yazan Manla Hassan (he/him) Justice, Political Philosophy and Law 

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director:

Peter Cockett (he/him)

Visiting Artist:

Melanie Skene (she/her)

The following members of the production team are students in THTRFLM 3S06 Major Production Workshop

Stage Management:

Isabella Stavropoulos (she/her) English/Cultural Studies and Theatre & Film Studies
Jacob Morgado (he/him) Theatre & Film Studies
Osho Okate (he/him) Theatre & Film Studies
Sofia Smith (she/her) Linguistics and Theatre & Film Studies

Costume/Makeup Design:

Kiyang Wajo (she/her) Political Science and Theatre & Film Studies
Sienna Kim (she/her) Theatre & Film Studies

Lighting Design:

Yiming Sun (she/her) Media Arts and Theatre & Film Studies
Yuting Sun (he/him) Theatre & Film Studies

Projection Design:

Emily Demille (she/her) Theatre & Film Studies
Yifan Wang (she/her) Media Arts

Puppet Design:

Allyson Dundass (she/her) Theatre & Film Studies
Mikey Gough (they/he) Theatre & Film Studies

Set Design:

Maryann Laitila (she/her) Humanities
Myakielle Alcantara (she/her) Theatre & Film Studies
Ruifeng Peng (he/him) Theatre & Film Studies

Sound Design and Music Composition:

Megan Macfarlane Theatre & Film Studies
Tristan Chung (he/him) Theatre & Film Studies
Vikaash Arunmozhi (he/him) Integrated Arts

Writing:

Allyson Dundass (she/her) Theatre & Film Studies
Isabella Stavropoulos (she/her) English/Cultural Studies and Theatre & Film Studies
Kataya Thibodeau (she/her) English/Cultural Studies and Theatre & Film Studies

The devising process for this show began in the Spring class Devising New Plays: Research and Planning. The core ideas, shape, and direction of the production was laid in place by this powerful group of artist collaborators. Much of their work remains in the show and they deserve great credit for what you are about to see and hear tonight.

Writing: Christian Michael Sanchez, Gabby Cifa, Jelena Vladetic, Kataya Thibodeau, Myakielle Alcantara, Trinity Ruiz,

Acting: Elysse Baigent, Harpreet Bassan, Shanmitha Kumar, Mariann Laitila, Cassidy Lawson, Megan Macfarlane, Maria Moin, Ruifeng Peng

Set: Stacy De Berner

Lights: Dongfang Zhao

Sound: Jasmine Crawshaw, Sofia Smith Tristan Chung, Vik Arunmozhi

Puppets: Charlie Saltzman, Mikey Gough,

Costume: Yuting Song, Victor Zhong, Sophia Zhu

Four students continued to work on the show in the summer in an Applied Hum course, and further shaped the project in preparation for production the Fall: Gabby Cifa, Kataya Thibodeau, Tristan Chung, and Vik Arunmozhi

Special Thanks

A very special thanks to the amazing volunteers who helped deliver the extensive design work on the show:

Costume and Make-up: Anika Fisher, Charbel El-Ters, Favour Abadahunsi, Isla Carey

Puppets: Amelia Doty, Charlie Saltzman, Georgina Farrow, Maia Venturelli-Golba, Yvonne Felix

Set: Ava Arndt, Cameron Roberts, Francis Swales, Lily Rose George, Matt Bailey, Sabrina Vachon, Sheryl Lee

Outsiders Support: Evelyn Speakman

The show runs for one and a half hours without an intermission. It is conceived as a staged concept album inspired by the work of Kendrick Lamar. Following Lamar’s practice, we want to credit everyone for their contribution to each track of the show.

TRACK ONE: The Mycillae Dance
Music Composition and Arrangement: Tristan Chung
Projections: Yifan Wang
Choreography: Pippa Macdonald, Megan Kolomeir, and Avery Hart
Performed by The Mycillae

TRACK TWO: World Burning
Assistant Director: Isabella Stavropoulos
Soundscape: Tristan Chung
Projections: Emily Demille
Choreography: The Ensemble
Spoken Word written and performed by the Ensemble

TRACK THREE: Sunburned
Music and Lyrics: Chris Yanes
Music Arrangement: Vik Arunmozhi
Music Production: Tristan Chung and Vik Arunmozhi
Choreography: Annika Johnston
Performed by Chris Yanes (vocal), Annika Johnston (dance)

TRACK FOUR: World Flooding
Assistant Director: Isabella Stavropoulos
Soundscape: Tristan Chung
Projections: Emily Demille
Choreography: The Ensemble
Spoken Word written and performed by the Ensemble
“Anger” Music and Lyrics: Vik Arunmozhi
Production: Vik Arunmozhi
Song performed by Kiara Barrow and Vik Arunmozhi

TRACK FIVE: Anger
Assistant Director: Isabella Stavropoulos
Music and Lyrics: Vik Arunmozhi
Projections: Emily Demille
Musical Arrangement and Production: Vik Arunmozhi
Performed by Kiara Barrow and Vik Arunmozhi
Spoken Word: Isabella Stavropoulos and the Ensemble
Performed by the Ensemble

TRACK SIX: Castle of the Self
Spoken Word: Peter Cockett
Projections: Emily Demille
Performed by Annika Johnston, Isaac Brennan, and Megan Kolomeir

TRACK SEVEN: Meet the Outsiders
Writing: Kataya Thibodeau, Peter Cockett, and the Outsiders
Direction: Kataya Thibodeau
Projections: Yifan Wang

TRACK EIGHT: Apathy Will Kill Us In The End
Lyrics: Max Schaub and Peter Cockett
Music: Sarah Cockett and Vik Arunmozhi
Projections: Yifan Wang
Performed by Max Shaub

TRACK NINE: Intro to Hierarchy
Music Composition and Arrangement: Megan Macdonald
Writing: Peter Cockett
Projections: Yifan Wang
Puppeteers: Kiara Barrow (body) Elysse Baigent (arm), Adrian de Jesus (arm)
Spoken Word performed by Matthew Elliot

TRACK TEN: Ants are Amazing!
Monologue: Peter Cockett, Enoyo Ebhonu, and the Mycillae
Projections: Yifan Wang
Performed by Enoyo Ebhonu

TRACK ELEVEN: Heading North
Writing: Kataya Thibodeau, Peter Cockett, and the Outsiders
Direction: Kataya Thibodeau
Projections: Yifan Wang

TRACK TWELVE: Intro to Symbiosis
Music Composition: Megan Macfarlane
Music Production: Megan MacFarlane and Vik Arunmozhi
Writing: Peter Cockett
Projections: Yifan Wang
Puppeteers: Isaac Brennan (body) Annika Johnston (arm), Megan Kolomeir (arm)
Spoken Word performed by Chris Yanes

TRACK THIRTEEN: Billionaire Domes
Soundscape: Tristan Chung
Projections: Emily Demille

TRACK FOURTEEN: Robots Overdose
Music and Lyrics: Vik Arunmozhi
Musical Arrangement and Production: Vik Arunmozhi
Song sung by Vik Arunmozhi
Projections: Emily Demille
Choreography: Pippa Macdonald and Megan Kolomeir
Spoken Word: Allyson Dundass and the Ensemble
Performed by the Ensemble

TRACK FIFTEEN: Intervention
Writing: Kataya Thibodeau, Peter Cockett, and the Outsiders
Direction: Kataya Thibodeau
Projections: Yifan Wang

TRACK SIXTEEN: Nature Song
Music and Lyrics: Chris Yanes
Musical Arrangement and Production: Vik Arunmozhi
Projections: Yifan Wang
Spoken Word: Matthew Elliot
Performed by Chris Yanes and Matthew Elliot

TRACK SEVENTEEN: Drastic Measures
Writing: Kataya Thibodeau, Peter Cockett, and the Outsiders
Direction: Kataya Thibodeau
Projections: Yifan Wang

TRACK EIGHTEEN: Puppet Face Off
Music Composition and Arrangement: Megan Macdonald
Writing: Peter Cockett and Gabby Cifa
Projections: Yifan Wang
Puppeteers: For Hierarchy, Kiara Barrow (body) Elysse Baigent (arm), Adrian de Jesus (arm). For Symbiosis, Isaac Brennan (body) Annika Johnston (arm), Megan Kolomeir (arm)
Spoken Word performed by Chris Yanes and Matthew Elliot

TRACK NINETEEN: Instinct Dance
Music Composition and Arrangement: Tristan Chung and Vik Arunmozhi
Writing: Peter Cockett
Projections: Yifan Wang