Albertaville

U: The Comedy of Global Warming

U: The Comedy of Global Warming is a multi-media play that humourously combines documentary film with live theatre.  It’s primarily intended as entertainment, but it was also created to educate and to provoke action on climate change.

At first presenting itself as a television show about global warming hosted by an actor-narrator and taped in front of a live audience, U: abruptly shifts focus to an episodic fable about an oil executive who brings a climate change refugee to Canada.  Over the course of the play the TV show and the fable interweave and eventually collide – with catastrophic results.

U:’s documentary aspect is made up of excerpts of video recorded interviews with Edmonton scientists, politicians, activists and citizens talking about climate change.  The production also features performances and work by some of Edmonton’s best theatre and media artists.

U: will run from December 11-20, 2009 in the Media Room of the Fine Arts Building at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.   Its performance dates roughly coincide with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (December 7-18).

For more information, please contact theatre no. 6 at 780.482.6523 or theatreno6@gmail.com.

U: The Comedy of Global Warming
by Ian Leung

Performances: December 11-20, 2009 (preview December 10)
Showtimes: Tuesday-Sundays 8pm, Sundays 2pm Matinee

Tickets: $20 regular, $15 student/senior/artist;
(preview: $17 regular, $13 student/senior/artist); PWYC 8pm on Sundays
Advance purchases at Tix on the Square/780.420.1757 or at the door before performances (cash only)

Venue: Media Room, Fine Arts Building, Department of Drama, University of Alberta (Corner 88th Avenue @ 112th Street)

Director: Ian Leung
Assistant Producer: Melissa Thingelstad
Dramaturg: Kim McCaw
Cast: Clinton Carew, Tim Hamaguchi, Garett Spelliscy with Cole Humeny & Melissa Thingelstad
Stage Manager: Anna Davidson
Set and Lights: Guido Tondino and Victoria Zimski
Costumes: Tata Tuviera
Sound: Matthew Skopyk
Fight Director: Patrick Howarth
Choreography: Amber Borotsik
Video Consultant: Mel Geary
Editors: Mike McLaughlin, aAron munson, Ian Leung, Clinton Carew
Camera: Mike McLaughlin, Clinton Carew
Motion Graphics: POCO
Electrics & Stage Carpentry: Matt Latimer, Erik Martin
Audio Visual Technician: Terri Grant
Set & Props Painting & Upholstery: Julie Becquart
Promotion: Catch the Keys Productions

U: is produced by theatre no. 6 as part of Edmonton’s Indie 5 theatre season.

U: The Comedy of Global Warming is made possible with the generous financial support of the Edmonton Arts Council and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Additional artistic and material resources have been provided by the Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation, the University of Alberta Department of Drama and the University of Alberta Faculty of Education.