2017-18 Season Artist Feature

A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH JEREMY PICARD + LANI FU

When we meet Jeremy Pickard and Lani Fu, they’re sitting at a concrete chess table in the Lower East Side’s Meltzer Park. “Climate change isn’t an issue; it’s our new reality,” Jeremy says, as small flowers fall from the blooming trees above, and wisps of pollen twist in the air like allergenic tumbleweeds. tumbleweeds. They're sitting near the set of the Living Stage
NYC — an eco-theater project from thier company Superhero Clubhouse — but are taking a break from their prep work to discuss their plans for this Spring's Big Green Theater, where children from Bushwick public schools learn about climate issues, then write plays based on what they’ve learned. “In our professional theater making, we use these three tools of eco-theater,”continues Jeremy. “Impossible questions, imposed limitations, and tangible hope. And the 'tangible hope' part is always really slippery because it’s ephemeral. We’re trying to figure out where there’s actually hope in these big problems.” Lani nods in agreement. “In terms of the whole ‘overwhelming despair’ thing,” she says, “I remember doing a climate justice workshop with kids and at the end I was like ‘hey, we just talked about a lot of depressing things. It sounds bad. But I wanted to share these things with you because in order to build something great for the future, you have to understand the world right now. Then you can use your imagination to make the future better.'” Jeremy cuts in, “While we’re looking for this innovation or that politician to enact change…To watch these kids make a play together and see all the micro ways we form society and work together despite our differences — that kind of is the hope, isn’t it?”

PLAYING AT THE STARR APRIL 27-29, 2018
VIEW DETAILS HERE