UPROOTED plants the seeds of hope when it comes to climate change
The collaborative virtual play by Some Assembly Theatre Company and scores of diverse Metro Vancouver youth tackles the pressing issue of global heating
Vancouver theatre director-producer-writer Valerie Methot spoke with diverse youth who attended local climate strikes to inform the script of Some Assembly Theatre Company’s UPROOTED. Photo by Raylen Adriano
The world premiere of UPROOTED is viewable online at www.someassembly.ca. The play’s team is holding a virtual Q&A on October 17 at 3:30 pm. To reserve a spot, email info@someassembly.ca.
SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Vancouver high-school student Raylen Adriano is like a lot of youth when it comes to climate change: equal parts overwhelmed, driven to action, and hopeful for change. Grappling with an issue as monumental as the state of planetary health is not easy, but one way the Grade 12 Vancouver Technical student is confronting the pressing global concern is through theatre.
Adriano is part of a team of youth writers behind UPROOTED, a new digital play by Some Assembly Theatre Company. Co-presented by RHYTAG (Roundhouse Youth Theatre Action Project), it’s directed, produced, and co-written by professional local artist Valerie Methot.
The virtual production grew out of conversations Methot had with more than 100 diverse Metro Vancouver youth about climate change. Many expressed that they’re feeling anxious. Working on the collaborative project helped Adriano consider the current circumstances from different perspectives.
“I’ve heard lots of news about emissions going down because of quarantine, and while that’s really great to hear, it feels more like just a pause than actual permanent change to how we’re treating the ecosystem,” Adriano says in an interview with Stir. “If the world is ever restored to a state pre-COVID, won’t the emission levels go back to how they were, too? The cycle isn’t over yet; it’s just temporarily slowed down. And if we come back to it when it’s in full swing again, it might be too late that time around.
“I’ve participated in a few other Some Assembly Theatre RHYTAG projects before this, and my passion for voicing my opinion as a youth is what’s kept me going,” Adriano says. “It’s also great to know how other youth are feeling about what’s happening in the world and what they see as their own place in it.”
The cast of UPROOTED formed a bubble over the summer to continue working on the play amid the pandemic. Photo by Emily Cooper
UPROOTED centres on the story of three friends on an annual camping trip who find themselves suddenly facing a threat to the B.C. forest they love. They must decide how to respond and protect what they view as sacred.
Methot spoke with young people from various B.C. schools as well as youth who attended local climate strikes and rallies for research. Those conversations proved indelible.
“Many said they were worried about the planet: the animals dying and going extinct, water not being drinkable, the air not being breathable, too many carbon emissions,” Methot tells Stir. “They were worried about the oceans and too much plastic; they were worried each other and the future—and there not being one. Some opened up about their extreme anxiety and how they couldn’t think about climate change that much because it was too frightening. The thought of everyone dying was too overwhelming.
“Some said they did not see the point in trying to combat climate change because it didn’t appear that adults were all that concerned, otherwise more climate action would be happening,” Methot adds. “I said, ‘I am concerned, and that’s why I want to talk to you and hear what you have to say.’ I see how working on this project for over a year has helped me process some of my own fears, and I am feeling more hopeful because of all the conversations I’ve had with young people.”
Many of the cast and crew have been inspired by climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has motivated people young and old all over the world to join the global climate movement.
“Her message is clear: listen to the science,” Methot says. “I saw for myself and experienced the motivation when I marched with the youth. I could see how empowering it is with young people raising their voices together for their future. I strongly support this movement, and I support young people with this important cause.”
An inclusive production like UPROOTED illustrates how theatre can be a powerful tool to process concerns and feelings—and convey positive messages. Even virtually, it can unite people in a shared goal, with art as an expression of what is meaningful.
During the script-writing process, the UPROOTED team gleaned insights from experts like environmental lawyer Michael Doherty; climate solutions policy analyst Tom Green of the David Suzuki Foundation; and environmentalists Peter McCartney and Isabelle Groc, both of whom are involved with the Wilderness Committee. Cast and crew grew into a collective force that’s joining the push to restore the health of the planet. It’s a cry they hope resonates with audiences.
“Theatre is life’s mirror that validates concerns, experiences, and feelings that the youth, artists, crew, and audience connect to,” Methot says. “The artistry pulls the audience in and takes them on a journey that is transformative. With this project, the youth experience catharsis because they perform what they have written. The energy and courage they bring to UPROOTED is powerful. Together, the community builds with hope, awareness, dialogue, and positive social change.”
Adriano is reassured by news such as that of the recent decision by federal government to ban single-use plastics. Pulling back the lens to look at the bigger picture, Adriano wish is that the play instills hope.
“The world is bleak, but Mother Nature and humanity are both tremendously resilient forces, and I believe our play illustrates this in a poignant way,” Adriano says. “If audiences can feel the hope, my own hope is that it’s enough to inspire them to enact change—or just to keep going when things are rough. Hope can change everything.”
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