One of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 best-known environmentalists and broadcasters is making his theatrical debut in a performance that explores whether people can learn to love the planet the way they love each other.
David Suzuki will take to the stage alongside his wife and fellow activist Tara Cullis in B次元官网网址淲hat You WonB次元官网网址檛 Do For Love,B次元官网网址� created in collaboration with the Toronto-based Why Not Theatre.
Set at the dinner table, the scripted conversation will feature stories from the coupleB次元官网网址檚 life spanning four decades at the forefront of the environmental movement, explained the theatreB次元官网网址檚 artistic director, Ravi Jain.
Decisions about how to mitigate climate change often hinge on economic fears, rather than the interconnectedness of humans with nature, Suzuki said in an interview.
But to deal with the environmental crisis seriously, he said, B次元官网网址淲e have to love the world that gave birth to us and that keeps us alive and healthy.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲hat You WonB次元官网网址檛 Do For LoveB次元官网网址� focuses on family bonds, the excitement and frustrations of activism and the motivating force of love itself, with a hearty dash of humour and the goal of energizing the audience, said Jain.
TheyB次元官网网址檙e offering audiences a sneak peek into the show as it takes shape during a workshop akin to an open rehearsal Tuesday evening during the Push International Performing Arts Festival at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster.
It was Jain who approached Suzuki, 83, and Cullis, 70, with the idea to create a performance with love as the central theme, and the couple were intrigued.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a critical year for climate action and the future of the planet, said Suzuki. So, he decided to try his hand at something new to engage people and have fun, too.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e pulling out all stops in the sense that weB次元官网网址檒l even try to be actors,B次元官网网址� he said, laughing.
A geneticist by training, Suzuki has spent much of his life communicating science to audiences across Canada and the world as the host of CBCB次元官网网址檚 documentary television show B次元官网网址淭he Nature of Things,B次元官网网址� among many other broadcasting roles.
But science can be limited, too, said Suzuki, noting that love is an important salve and motivating force in the face of climate change, environmental degradation and the feelings of grief that can ensue.
Indeed, the American Psychological Association has released a report on how climate change is affecting mental health, while a study from the University of Alberta showed that the wildfires that burned through Fort McMurray, Alta., in 2016 took a lasting psychological toll on many residents.
Jain is a firm believer in the power of theatre, poetry and storytelling to spark change. Previously, he helped direct B次元官网网址淪ea Sick,B次元官网网址� a play about the state of the worldB次元官网网址檚 oceans by Canadian science journalist Alanna Mitchell.
B次元官网网址淪ince time immemorial B次元官网网址� we painted the world we saw on caves in hopes we could try to understand the world and our relationship to it. The stories we tell will help shape how we see,B次元官网网址� said Jain, who will join Cullis and Suzuki on stage in addition to directing the show.
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Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
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