Eco-Theatre: The Intersection of Art, Politics, and Environmental Science
Speaker:
Paula Cizmar, Playwright
04 Apr 2017
8:00 PM
South Ballroom, Memorial Union
How do the arts take on important issues—particularly the often controversial topics that emerge in the area of environmental science? Playwright Paula Cizmar, internationally known as one of the authors of Seven, discusses eco-theatre and how it can communicate ideas, raise awareness, inspire action, and promote empathy. Pearl Hogrefe Visiting Writers Series
Paula Cizmar is a playwright whose work is concerned with the way stories get told in a culture—and with who gets left out of the discussion. Her work has been produced at Portland Stage Company, the Women’s Project (New York), the Jungle Theatre, San Diego Rep, Passage Theatre, and Playwrights Arena @ LATC, among others. New plays include [i]Antigone X[/i], produced at USC MFA Rep; [i]January[/i], presented in NYC in the New Play Development Series at MultiStages; and [i]The Last Nights of Scheherazade[/i], recipient of the 2016 Israel Baran Award. [i]The Chisera (AKA Lost Borders)[/i], was selected for the Mach 33 Festival of Science-Driven Plays. Paula has received commissions from Center Theatre Group, Salt Lake Acting Company, Echo Theatre, Portland Stage Company, and Playwrights Arena. Among her many awards are an NEA grant and a TCG/Mellon On the Road grant. She is an Associate Professor of Theatre at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. More information: www.paulacizmar.com
Cizmar’s other plays include [i]Bone Dry, Ghost Dance on Mulholland, Candy & Shelley Go to the Desert,[/i] and [i]Still Life with Parrot & Monkey[/i], and [i]Street Stories[/i]. Her first off-Broadway play, [i]The Death of a Miner[/i], was produced by the Women’s Project at the American Place, and it earned Cizmar a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Special Commendation.