Behind the Scenes: Third Form Climate Change Plays

The chilly season always calls for a warm cup of creativity! This past January, the Third Form theater class performed their annual climate change plays. Let’s take a peek into the behind-the-scenes of our CPAC black box.

At the beginning of the process, the Third Form theater class did a collective reading of the climate change plays, discussing the tone and message of each piece. Students were then assigned a play, working in a peer group of two actors and one director. At first, the Third Formers found the plays’ meanings vague, so it took time to fully understand and connect with these stories before getting them on their feet. “I was really confused and did not understand my play was just one giant metaphor,” Lily Shapiro ’29 said.

As the rehearsal process took off, students turned these plays into projects of their own, coming up with innovative ideas and exploring theatrical elements. “I was proud of having the idea of putting something on the projector to show the contrast between light and darkness,” Lily said.
They also delved into the urgent themes these pieces conveyed, deepening their personal understanding of their work. “My favorite memories were all the times we had arguments over what the lines' true meanings were and how to portray them,” Mark Yang ’29 said “[Lily] and I got into arguments that lasted the entire 45 minutes [of class], but in the end, we would have a better play because of it.”

The Third Form theater class collaborated with the Third Form art students, bringing their plays to life with student-made props and set pieces. “I am proud of the art students for making beautiful [polar bear] masks as well as icebergs [for our play],” Marcus Bryan ’29 said. In the process of creating art to advocate for environmental change, the Third Formers incorporated parts of their own climate-related experiences. When crafting her poster for a play, Alex Cook ’29 drew smoke coming out of buildings to represent air pollution. “One of the first things I think about when talking about climate change is air pollution,” he said. “I see a lot of air pollution in concentrated areas, where there are a lot of cars. I can see the effects of it. Less snow. Less stars. I kept these things in mind while drawing my poster.”

Alongside the three climate change plays, the theater students led an audience interactive play called “Now” by Wren Brian, an award-winning Canadian playwright who writes climate change theater action plays. The audience spoke the lines—displayed on a slideshow—based on student-written prompts that pertained to them, cultivating unity while collectively addressing the need for immediate change in our world. As part of the Third Form theater class, I was surprised by how immersive the experience was; people were speaking simultaneously, truly feeling the weight of the words.

The Groton community resonated with these plays, gaining insight as well as comedic memories from the theater student’s work. “[These plays] are extremely relevant to what is happening right now in the world with the focus, and sometimes neglect, of climate change,” Victor Barrera ’29 said. Faculty member Vuyelwa Maquabela observed how each pair of student actors was distinctive, conveying the same message in completely different ways. “I love the strong roles of the strong young women [Karlene Kumah ’29 and Sophia Zarrinkoub ’29] played in the courtroom scene,” Mrs. Maquabela said. “One part I remember was when Justin Xu ‘29 slapped Marcus [in the Polar Bears play]; that was unexpected and in the moment.” These climate change plays left a profound impression on the Groton community, conjuring laughter and unity while reminding us of the absolute importance of protecting our Earth. By raising awareness on prevalent issues through the power of art, artists become not only people of expression, but catalysts for global change. At Groton, we are all capable of making that difference—whether it involves wearing a judge’s robe or rocking a polar bear mask.