A New Musical Revisits the Bay Area's Apocalyptic Orange Sky Day | KQED

""I don't think that we've actually fully recovered from that moment. I know I haven't," playwright Julius Ernesto Rea said. Rea said coming together in a physical space and going back in time gives the actors and the audience the opportunity to release some of their bottled-up emotions, especially those surrounding the changing climate. "A lot of the play is trying to figure out how we grieve the future that we thought we had, so that we can invite new visions of the future," Rea said."

"One memorable song is " How Far Gone," written by musicians Olivia Kuper Harris and David Michael Ott. It acknowledges the damage people have done to the planet and climate, and asks how long it will take to act on climate change: What's crazy is how I exploit you When you give and you give I ignore you If I could take it back, I would take it all back, I would turn the clock back"

"The show is an example of the belief held by Jamie Beck Alexander of Project Drawdown that " every job is a climate job," and anyone can use their passions and skills to talk about climate. The creative team behind the production is furthering public conversation on climate, not just through the show but through a series of post-show "talkbacks," short conversations, which will cover topics such as how to take action on climate change and eco-anxiety."

Julius Ernesto Rea emphasizes that live theatrical gatherings allow actors and audiences to release bottled-up emotions tied to climate change and to confront lingering trauma. The play explores grieving the future once expected in order to invite new visions of what comes next. The song "How Far Gone" names human exploitation of the planet and asks how long it will take to act. The production promotes the idea that every job can address climate and pairs performances with post-show talkbacks on taking action and managing eco-anxiety. Research shows most people want stronger climate action but underestimate that support, making conversation crucial.

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