This new play by Jim Poyser, which premiered at the 2021 Indianapolis Fringe Festival, is a comedy about the unfunniest thing ever: the climate crisis.
Over a dozen short plays explore our unraveling climate system and the human response — or lack thereof. Five actors present these pieces by acting multiple characters and using song, dance, clowning, puppetry, Foley sound effects and more. The production strives to be as low waste and carbon neutral as humanly possible, using recycled materials for all props.
Over a dozen short plays explore our unraveling climate system and the human response — or lack thereof. Five actors present these pieces by acting multiple characters and using song, dance, clowning, puppetry, Foley sound effects and more. The production strives to be as low waste and carbon neutral as humanly possible, using recycled materials for all props.
Want to use the script for your performance? Want Climate Follies to perform at your venue?
Contact climatefollies@gmail.com
The actors go all-in with a high-energy embrace of the material. Like any good Fringe show, the hour-long bonanza goes by quickly. The impact, though, stings, spanks, and smacks. Climate Follies ensures we are as duly unsettled as we should have been years ago, while the clowns keep clowning like there is not a tomorrow. This ditzy, devastating work needs you to see it.
ANNE LAKER - NUVO (read the full review)
What really strikes me about Climate Follies is the use of Brechtian-style theatre to create the atmosphere of the play as a whole...I have never seen a play in this style. I have, however, read scripts meant to be performed in the style of Epic Theatre. I can't say I was much of a fan, but seeing Climate Follies totally changed that...Every time I saw the show, I was laughing, and I saw it quite a few times...I would highly recommend seeing this dynamic piece of theatre.
MADDIE DAVIES - BROADWAY WORLD (read the full review)
The Follies
Welcome to the Climate Follies (Song)
Deckchairs
Baseball Bat 1
Perfect Storms
Happy Trail
Pearly Recycled Gates
Baseball Bat 2
He Went Me-Gan
Intra-Mission
Click Here to Find Your Government Representatives!
Duel
Baseball Bat 3
Eat Local
Career Day
Afire
Deckchairs
Baseball Bat 1
Perfect Storms
Happy Trail
Pearly Recycled Gates
Baseball Bat 2
He Went Me-Gan
Intra-Mission
Click Here to Find Your Government Representatives!
Duel
Baseball Bat 3
Eat Local
Career Day
Afire
Meet the Artists
Photo Credit: Michelle Craig
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The Playwright | Jim PoyserJim’s dozens of plays have been performed over 40 years in Bloomington, Indianapolis, South Bend, Chicago and New York City. Former Literary Manager/Dramaturge for the Bloomington Playwrights Project, Poyser was an editor for Bloomington Voice, Breeze Magazine, NUVO Newsweekly, and Indiana Living Green, before becoming Executive Director of Earth Charter Indiana, a statewide nonprofit engaged in intergenerational climate action at the intersection of science and civics. Poyser’s 2013 IndyFringe performance, Saving the World through Bumper Stickers, led to the development of his climate change game show, The Ain’t Too Late Show. He lives along the White River in Indianapolis.
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The Director | Raphael SchwartzmanRaphael Schwartzman (he/him) is a freelance stage director and producer, and a creative coach through his company Strike Home. He directed, performed, and designed in Chicago for 8 years with theatres like Piccolo, Strawdog, Arc, Redmoon, BYOT Productions, and the Chicago Fringe Festival. He left the Windy City in July 2019 to travel the country and as a result spends a lot of time worrying about his carbon footprint. His last directing project in Chicago - Saving the World with Chicago Tap Theatre - was also about the climate crisis, so Raphael has accepted that this is his thing now.
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Photo Credit: Maria Webb
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Indianapolis Fringe 2021 - Cast & Crew
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Actor | Anabel WatsonAnabel Watson, (she/her), a Chicago and Seattle-based tap dancer and performance artist, has performed with Teatro ZinZanni and toured with the Alchemy Tap Project (founding member) and Chicago Tap Theatre. Compelled by blended artistic styles, Anabel choreographed tap dances to live opera and co-curated a sonic meditation for the Chicago Architecture Biennial’s performance Listed (2019), followed by collaboration on a digital soundtrack and avant-garde performance for New Music at the Green Mill where she acted/danced/screamed/delivered poetry/sang and played a bizarre variety of instruments. The executive director of Fuego del Sol Haiti, a social-eco enterprise manufacturing ultra-efficient cookstoves and biomass fuel briquettes out of recycled materials, Anabel is grateful for this opportunity to mesh her environmental and artistic passions. She holds an honors degree in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies from DePaul University.
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Actor | Beverly RocheBeverly Roche (she/her) is the resident teaching artist with the Fonseca Theatre Company. She is a member of NoExit Performance and has appeared in many of their productions and contributes to their highly visual theatrical elements. Beverly is also a teaching artist with Arts for Learning, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, and Artmix Indiana (redefining disability through the arts). Favorite acting roles include Celeste in The Mutilated (NoExit Performance), Lille Ann in Barbecue (The Phoenix Theatre), Maria Lauletta in Triangle (Ben Asaykwee and Young Actors Theatre), Galinthias and Hippolyta in Mad, Mad Hercules (Zach & Zack/NoExit). In her free time she is an avid gardener and studies French and Spanish languages.
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Actor | Dena TolerDena Toler has been a professional artist in Indianapolis for 20 years. Last directing Black Lives Matter Too in Onyxfest and The Indy Fringe Festival. Also directing Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill for Fonseca Theatre Company. She could last be seen on stage in The Brothers Paranormal at Fonseca Theatre Company; as well Productions of Sweat and Barbeque at the Phoenix Theatre. This is her fourth time being on stage at the Fringe Festival in Indianapolis. She is excited and honored to be a part of such a talented group of creatives coming together to bring a message of dyer urgency. She is grateful to all friends & family that have supported her Journey* along the way.
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Actor | Jaddy CiucciJaddy Ciucci (she/they) is a mystery. No one knows where they're from or what they've done, and they like to keep it that way. Are they even a cast member? You'll have to watch the show to find out.
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Actor | Kerrigan HowardKerrigan Howard is a Senior Theatre major at Butler University this fall. She has performed in countless performances from elementary school until now. This includes Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts in Chattanooga, TN where she auditioned and was accepted into the middle school. Getting the experience of around the clock creative outlooks, where sports were non-existent, ballet was a class, and middle and high were in the same building, Kerrigan knew this is where she belonged, in theatre. Throughout her time in high school, Kerrigan was accepted into All-state Choir and Allstate while bringing crowds to dinner and shows for Madrigals (14th century music and theatre). During her college career, Kerrigan has performed in the musical, Violet as a member of the ensemble and Alameda before transferring to Butler. During her time at Butler, she has performed in Mineola Twins, Ian Hunt Directing Project, Antigone, and Fleeting Full. Kerrigan would most like to thank her mother and grandmother for the countless support, love, and acceptance for what she loves to do.
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Stage Manager | Kieran ShayKieran Shay is an Arts Administration Theatre Major from Butler University. During her time at Butler, she has been able to work a variety of plays and has been involved in Sandbox Student Productions. In her free time, she works at Schrott Center for the Arts and loves to go hiking. She is honored to be able to work on a show that promotes such an important and pressing topic. Thank you for watching Climate Follies!
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Understudy | Maddie Davies
Maddie Davies is a Theatre Major from Butler University. She has performed in many productions at Butler including Nameless Star and Lafcadio. She is the secretary of Alpha Psi Omega and the artistic director of Sandbox Student Production. This summer, she has been writing for broadwayworld.com. In her free time, she likes to watch M*A*S*H and do sudoku puzzles.
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Donate
We can't do it without youWant to get involved but don't want to get on stage? Donating to our fundraiser makes you a patron of the artist and a climate activist at the same time (and helps us get a little closer to reaching our production budget).
Your donation will support...
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