Climate Theatre
Ecology and Performance in a Climate Emergency
1st Edition
Published on 26. November 2025
Book
Hardback
248 pages
978-1-032-95345-8 (ISBN)
Description
Climate Theatre examines how distressed environments are portrayed through theatrical and performance arts.
Despite variations in form and location, this volume unites diverse geographical settings through their shared concern with the effects of rising temperatures on land, sea, sky and beyond. Throughout history theatre and performance have mirrored society's most pressing moral, ethical and sociopolitical challenges. Today, various performance traditions-from ritual practices to cultural activism and historical reenactments-are being reassessed for their environmental resilience and ecological consciousness. The collection also showcases innovative contemporary works that position climate as a dynamic and meaningful presence within drama, performance, activism and art. These contributions reflect the global nature of climate challenges while carefully articulating the nuanced perspectives emerging from different geographical contexts.
This volume will particularly appeal to performance scholars, environmental humanities researchers, climate activists, theatre practitioners and students seeking to understand the intersection of artistic expression and ecological crisis in our rapidly changing world.
Despite variations in form and location, this volume unites diverse geographical settings through their shared concern with the effects of rising temperatures on land, sea, sky and beyond. Throughout history theatre and performance have mirrored society's most pressing moral, ethical and sociopolitical challenges. Today, various performance traditions-from ritual practices to cultural activism and historical reenactments-are being reassessed for their environmental resilience and ecological consciousness. The collection also showcases innovative contemporary works that position climate as a dynamic and meaningful presence within drama, performance, activism and art. These contributions reflect the global nature of climate challenges while carefully articulating the nuanced perspectives emerging from different geographical contexts.
This volume will particularly appeal to performance scholars, environmental humanities researchers, climate activists, theatre practitioners and students seeking to understand the intersection of artistic expression and ecological crisis in our rapidly changing world.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Academic
Illustrations
28 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 28 s/w Abbildungen
28 Halftones, black and white; 28 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
546 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-95345-8 (9781032953458)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Denise Varney | Peter Eckersall | Jen Parker-Starbuck
Climate Theatre
Ecology and Performance in a Climate Emergency
Book
approx. 12/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€64.90
Not yet published
Denise Varney | Peter Eckersall | Jen Parker-Starbuck
Climate Theatre
Ecology and Performance in a Climate Emergency
E-Book
11/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download
Denise Varney | Peter Eckersall | Jen Parker-Starbuck
Climate Theatre
Ecology and Performance in a Climate Emergency
E-Book
11/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download
Persons
Denise Varney is Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Melbourne
Peter Eckersall is the Sidney E. Cohn Professor in Theatre at the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), NY
Jen Parker-Starbuck is Professor of Theatre and Performance at Royal Holloway, University of London
Peter Eckersall is the Sidney E. Cohn Professor in Theatre at the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), NY
Jen Parker-Starbuck is Professor of Theatre and Performance at Royal Holloway, University of London
Content
Acknowledgements
List of Figures
List of Contributors
Introduction
Chapter 1. Climate Theatre: Ecology and Performance in a Climate Emergency by Denise Varney, Peter Eckersall and Jen Parker-Starbuck
Thinking about climate and performance
Chapter 2. AnthropoScenes on Campus: Ecospheric Knowledge Production, by Una Chaudhuri
Chapter 3. Theatre and Climate Change: Constellating a New Lexicon by Minty Donald and Carl Lavery
Chapter 4. Hope and Trust in the Future: Human to Nonhuman in Australian Drama by Peta Tait
Provocations in the Anthropocene: More-than-human
Chapter 5. The Sea is on Fire: Machinic Crustaceans and Ecological Promises by Jen Parker-Starbuck
Chapter 6. Being Prey at the End of the World: Kris Verdonck in Conversation with Lara Stevens about his latest work, PREY (2023) by Kris Verdonck and Lara Steven
Chapter 7. Ecospheric Affect in Solo Pour Octopus by Sarah Lucie
Chapter 8. Performing lunar climates by Felipe Cervera
Chapter 9. Re-staging Cabinets of Curiosities in the Age of Anthropocene by Cen Liu
Environmental violence and inequity
Chapter 10. Slow Violence in Cherrie Moraga's Heroes and Saints by Elin Diamond
Chapter 11. Urban Ecologies in Performance: from Colonialism to Community in Peter Morin's Cultural Graffiti and Fast Familiar's The Strategy Room by Lisa Woynarski
Chapter 12. Mutating Performance: On Monira Al Qadiri's Speculative Petroaesthetics by Katia Arfara
Climate risk, activism & eco-performance
Chapter 13. Performing Fading: Postvisual Dramaturgy in Durational Catastrophes by Kyoko Iwaki
Chapter 14. Performing Across Time: Jill Orr in Conversation with Peta Tait by Jill Orr and Peta Tait
Chapter 15. Dramaturgy for Community Renewal and Environmental Care by Linda Hassall
Chapter 16. Performing climate activism by Deborah Hart
Chapter 17. Wilderness Acts: Dorothy Molter and Performing the Boundary Waters by Eero Laine
Culture, community & survival
Chapter 18. Hyphenated Thinking in Performance-Pedagogical Prototypes: Maria Lucia Correia's Common Dreams Flotation School and Natural Contract Lab by Christel Stalpaer
Chapter 19. Burning Man's Climate: Eco-utopic Confluences and Contradictions by Sarah Ann Standing
Chapter 20. Tacuabe's Bow: Surviving through Absence by Maria Litvan
The recalcitrant politics of climate change
Chapter 21. Climate Control: Gender, Nature, and Stories of the Snow Queen by Clara Wilch
Chapter 22. It doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. But it doesn't matter that it doesn't work': David Finnigan's Dramaturgy of Errors by Milo Harries
Chapter 23. Just and sustainable futures: How will we do it? by Anitra Nelson
Index
List of Figures
List of Contributors
Introduction
Chapter 1. Climate Theatre: Ecology and Performance in a Climate Emergency by Denise Varney, Peter Eckersall and Jen Parker-Starbuck
Thinking about climate and performance
Chapter 2. AnthropoScenes on Campus: Ecospheric Knowledge Production, by Una Chaudhuri
Chapter 3. Theatre and Climate Change: Constellating a New Lexicon by Minty Donald and Carl Lavery
Chapter 4. Hope and Trust in the Future: Human to Nonhuman in Australian Drama by Peta Tait
Provocations in the Anthropocene: More-than-human
Chapter 5. The Sea is on Fire: Machinic Crustaceans and Ecological Promises by Jen Parker-Starbuck
Chapter 6. Being Prey at the End of the World: Kris Verdonck in Conversation with Lara Stevens about his latest work, PREY (2023) by Kris Verdonck and Lara Steven
Chapter 7. Ecospheric Affect in Solo Pour Octopus by Sarah Lucie
Chapter 8. Performing lunar climates by Felipe Cervera
Chapter 9. Re-staging Cabinets of Curiosities in the Age of Anthropocene by Cen Liu
Environmental violence and inequity
Chapter 10. Slow Violence in Cherrie Moraga's Heroes and Saints by Elin Diamond
Chapter 11. Urban Ecologies in Performance: from Colonialism to Community in Peter Morin's Cultural Graffiti and Fast Familiar's The Strategy Room by Lisa Woynarski
Chapter 12. Mutating Performance: On Monira Al Qadiri's Speculative Petroaesthetics by Katia Arfara
Climate risk, activism & eco-performance
Chapter 13. Performing Fading: Postvisual Dramaturgy in Durational Catastrophes by Kyoko Iwaki
Chapter 14. Performing Across Time: Jill Orr in Conversation with Peta Tait by Jill Orr and Peta Tait
Chapter 15. Dramaturgy for Community Renewal and Environmental Care by Linda Hassall
Chapter 16. Performing climate activism by Deborah Hart
Chapter 17. Wilderness Acts: Dorothy Molter and Performing the Boundary Waters by Eero Laine
Culture, community & survival
Chapter 18. Hyphenated Thinking in Performance-Pedagogical Prototypes: Maria Lucia Correia's Common Dreams Flotation School and Natural Contract Lab by Christel Stalpaer
Chapter 19. Burning Man's Climate: Eco-utopic Confluences and Contradictions by Sarah Ann Standing
Chapter 20. Tacuabe's Bow: Surviving through Absence by Maria Litvan
The recalcitrant politics of climate change
Chapter 21. Climate Control: Gender, Nature, and Stories of the Snow Queen by Clara Wilch
Chapter 22. It doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. But it doesn't matter that it doesn't work': David Finnigan's Dramaturgy of Errors by Milo Harries
Chapter 23. Just and sustainable futures: How will we do it? by Anitra Nelson
Index