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ISU Theatre’s “Fairytales for the Anthropocene” opens Friday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Maintenance Shop of the Memorial Union, featuring puppetry, live actors, and new short plays by U.S. playwrights. Audiences can expect a captivating journey, with stories marked by the interplay of survival, extinction, humanity, nature, and the imagination.

Directed by Amanda Petefish-Schrag, associate professor of theatre, and led by an 11-member ensemble and talented team of designers, the show brings the following plays to the stage for the first time:

• “The Fall,” by Amanda Petefish-Schrag, associate professor of theatre
• “The Return of Las Maris” by Diana Burbano
• “Portus” by Tiffany Antone, associate teaching professor of theatre
• “Little Blue 52” by Jaisey Bates
• “The Guests” by Darcy Parker Bruce
• “The Ballad of Smokey Quartz” by Ty Defoe

ISU Theatre commissioned playwrights to craft short plays or monologues inspired by the production’s title. Each work is an original or reimagined traditional tale with a contemporary twist and contains at least one element of shadow puppetry.

The familiarity of fairytales

The collection of plays highlights both familiar and new characters, from American folk hero Johnny Appleseed, to the classic fairytale heroine Red Riding Hood, to a family of quartz rocks.

“So often fairytales and myth deal with the intersection of humanity and the natural world,” Petefish-Schrag said. “And they exist across cultures. By reimagining fairytales in the context of the Anthropocene, we can explore our impact on the environment through a familiar, yet powerful, lens.”

Earth is officially in the Holocene epoch, which started 11,700 years ago after the last major ice age. In recent years, there has been buzz and debate about whether a new geological epoch should be declared – one called the Anthropocene – to acknowledge humanity’s impact on a changing planet. Derived from the Greek words for “man” and “new,” the name appears frequently in pop culture. It helps frame the shared context for these new plays.

“Something that stood out in the submissions was how each piece – while very distinct – captured some aspect of the tension between human progress and nature’s fragility – blending hope, fear, and wonder into the narratives,” Petefish-Schrag said.

Bringing art and science together

Scout Kuehn (’27 environmental science, performing arts) is an actor performing in four of the plays. Her roles, among others, include a young rock separated from its sibling by external forces, and “The Wolf,” a character representing the dark side of humanity’s relationship with the oceans.

As a double major in the sciences and arts, Kuehn is thrilled to see her areas of study meld on stage.

“These six playwrights dove into almost every aspect of what I study as an environmental science major,” she said. “These authors took their time researching and cultivating these beautiful stories in a ‘once-upon-a-time’ format about our terrifying realities concerning climate change and many other issues.”

Kuehn said that researchers and scientists often face a challenge in communicating their important work to the general public. While scientific facts can be hard to digest – especially when delivered rapidly via social media feeds and news sites – theatre can slow the pace in ways that lead to understanding and action, Kuehn suggested.

“Theatre has a unique way of conveying messages in ways audiences can understand, using visual and audio cues in entertaining ways. Storytelling was how we learned as children, whether in a classroom as the teacher told us a story about the rock cycle, while we were getting tucked into bed at night, or just reading stories we checked out at the library,” Kuehn points out. “So why can’t we continue to bring storytelling into our adult lives, where we can learn of climate change in a comfortable environment that wants to entertain and educate us?”

Light and shadow

ISU Theatre employs a storytelling technique throughout the show that traces back to ancient times. Five students have designed unique shadow puppetry for the production.

“The interplay of light and shadow adds an ethereal quality, bringing the natural world to life in a way that feels magical but also ominous,” Petefish-Schrag said. “There’s also something that feels somehow ‘timeless’ with shadow puppetry, perhaps because the form itself is so ancient, and can be traced back to human beings’ very earliest acts of community storytelling.”

Kuehn hopes audiences leave the show feeling changed – and ready to create change in their communities.

“Hopefully, this new outlook will leave them ready to start taking steps to make our world a better place to live,” Kuehn said.

Showtimes, tickets

“Fairytales for the Anthropocene” also features music from Iowa State’s Cantamus Treble Ensemble, directed by Jennifer Rodgers, assistant teaching professor of music, and Ames musicians Ben Schrag, Bryon and Rachel Dudley, Aaron Alcott, Greg Bruna, and Jordan Mull.

Showtimes are Oct. 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 and 13 at 2:00 p.m. Seating is limited. General admission is $20 and can be purchased in advance through the M-Shop (recommended) or at the door if available. Youth and Iowa State student tickets are free and available only at the door.

This production contains mature content.