Open to Public
An Enemy of The People Extinction Rebellion
Adapted, directed, and facilitated by Bryan Doerries
Free Event
Wed, Jun 12.2024
Theater of War Productions and the world-wide environmental movement Extinction Rebellion have joined forces to present scenes from Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People in Times Square on the Red Steps on June 12, featuring acclaimed actors and a “chorus” of climate activists, scientists, journalists, elected officials, and concerned citizens performing the role of the crowd in Ibsen’s 1882 play as a catalyst for a powerful, global conversation about climate change and the challenges of communicating the current environmental stakes before it’s too late. This free, live, hybrid event will take place for an in-person audience on the Red Steps, as well as for a large global audience on Zoom.
Featuring performances by Bill Murray (Rushmore), Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Taylor Schilling(Orange is the New Black), Zach Grenier (The Good Fight), Peter Francis James (Oz), Jay O. Sanders (True Detective), Jumaane Williams (NYC Public Advocate), Peter Marks (former Chief Theater Critic, The Washington Post), and Nate Smith (Extinction Rebellion). Adapted, directed, and facilitated by Bryan Doerries.
Co-presented by The Sixth Festival.
The play tells the story of a doctor who discovers the water supply in his small, rural town has been poisoned by a tannery. Despite his efforts to convey the truth to the public, the doctor fails to save his community from environmental disaster and is ultimately scapegoated by politicians, corporations, community members, and the local media for his whistleblowing.
An Enemy of the People was first performed in Norway in 1882, and yet it speaks to the present moment as if it were written for our times — to the corrosive influence of power and money in politics, the distortions of the media, and the many other challenges to climate action, environmental justice, and public health in our culture today. By presenting scenes from the play in public settings, featuring a variety of stakeholders, the project aims to create the conditions for open and constructive dialogue and positive action at this critical juncture, when the stakes could not be higher.
These events will be captioned in English on Zoom. If you choose to join us online, this event can be accessed on personal devices. The event Zoom link will be distributed via email and available to registered attendees starting two days prior to the event.
In-person registration does not guarantee you a seat. The Red Steps in Times Square is a public space. We encourage you to show up by 5:15pm, with a cushion.
All of Theater of War Productions' events follow the same format:
- The performers will read the text.
- Community panelists will kick off the discussion with their gut responses to what resonated with them across time.
- We will open the discussion to the audience, facilitated by Bryan Doerries. To participate in the discussion online, please raise your hand using the button at the bottom center of the screen. If called upon, please accept the invitation to be promoted to speak and you will be visible and heard by the entire audience for the duration of your comments. If you would prefer not to be seen, please disable your video.
About the play
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An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen
First performed in Norway in 1882, An Enemy of The People tells the story of a doctor who discovers the water supply in his small, rural town has been poisoned by a tannery. Despite his efforts to convey the truth to the public, the doctor fails to save his community from environmental disaster and is ultimately scapegoated for his whistleblowing.
Cast Members
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Bill Murray
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Taylor Schilling
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Kathryn Erbe
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Peter Francis James
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Zach Grenier
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Jay O. Sanders
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Jumaane Williams
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Nate Smith
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Peter Marks
Event Partners
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This free, public event featured a live, dramatic reading of the “Patient Griselda” story from Boccaccio's Decameron by Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Fleishman is in Trouble), Maev Beaty (Beau is Afraid, Mouthpiece), and Araya Mengesha (Tiny Pretty Things, Nobody). Then, in response, Margaret Atwood performed “Impatient Grisleda,” a story that is narrated to a group of humans in quarantine by an alien that looks like an octopus. The readings of both texts was followed by immediate responses by community panelists and culminated in a guided audience discussion, facilitated by Bryan Doerries (Artistic Director, Theater of War Productions).
Co-presented by Theater of War Productions and Toronto International Festival of Authors.
This hybrid presentation took place in person at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre Theatre and on Zoom Webinar on September 30, 2023.