Are there really people in this world who believe that humans are not to blame for climate change and, therefore, we should not try to do something about it? Okay. Fine. Enter four dinosaurs and a cockroach, who are facing a potential extinction event, themselves. Or maybe two dinosaurs and a cockroach. Or even four dinosaurs, a cockroach, and a rat. I have three versions of Every Creeping Thing.
As I write this post, Every Creeping Thing been produced twice. The first production was the small-cast version at Oldies but Goodies, a festival of five-minute play Festival presented by Playwrights Round Table and Valencia College in Orlando, Florida (Daniel Garces, director; Cast: Katia Avalos, Josh Hernandez and Alexis Vazquez). The second, featuring the full cast, was at ArtsBonita’s Funny Shorts Live! Festival in Bonita Springs, Florida (Janina Britolo, director; Cast: Melissa Henning, Carolyn Bronson, Luis Pages, Kristin Voit, and Janina Britolo.) I realize that two productions of one climate change satire is not even strong anecdotal evidence; nonetheless, they seem to be thinking about climate change in Florida. Go figure.
The picture below is from the Bonita Springs production and, yes, that beach ball with rainbow polka dots is meant to be an asteroid. Actually it’s meant to be the asteroid. They had fun with this play. I had fun writing it, and I hope it makes people laugh. But I also hope it makes them think, and act. Because satire is not the same as comedy, and climate change is no joke.
The Farmington Daily Times published more shots of the Bonita Springs cast in action, and here’s some coverage of Funny Shorts Live! in Broadway World and the Naples Daily News.
You can read, recommend, and request rights to produce Every Creeping Thing and my other plays on New Play Exchange.