A.R.T. Announces Full Cast and New Run Dates For OCEAN FILIBUSTER

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University announced today the full cast of the upcoming world premiere of Ocean Filibuster, which will now begin performances at the Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA, on February 24 and open officially on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. A.R.T. also announced updates to its COVID-19 protocols including masking requirements and proof of full vaccination including booster doses. Full details are available at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/Covid19Protocols.

A timely tour-de-force that explores the climate crisis and our democratic process with wit and urgency, Ocean Filibuster was commissioned and developed through a collaboration with the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE). Inside the Senate chamber of a global governing body, Mr. Majority introduces an "End of Ocean Bill" designed to shrink Earth's oceans into a more manageable (and marketable) collection of inland seas. When the floor is opened for debate, the Ocean arrives to speak in its own defense...and so begins an epic Human-Ocean showdown. A world-premiere, genre-crashing music theater experience, Ocean Filibuster fuses myth, song, video, stand-up, and science to explore the vast depths crucial to our daily survival.

Obie Award-winner Jennifer Kidwell (Underground Railway Game, Fat Ham) appears as both Mr. Majority and the Ocean. She is joined in performance by members of The Choir: Marshall Hughes (founder/director of Opera unMet), Rachel Share-Sapolsky (Thumbelina at the Loeb Drama Center), Emerson Sieverts (choir of St. John the Divine), Evan Spigelman (Taylor Mac's A 24 Decade History of Popular Music), Dawn L. Troupe (Moby-Dick at A.R.T.), and Nia Weeks.

Ocean Filibuster is created by the Obie Award-winning company PearlDamour. Text is by Lisa D'Amour, music is by Sxip Shirey, and direction is by Katie Pearl. Scenic Design is by Jian Jung. Costume Design is by Olivera Gajic. Lighting Design is by Thomas Dunn. Sound Design is by Germán Martínez. Projection Design is by Tal Yarden. Lisa McGinn is the Production Stage Manager.

A limited number of "Senate Seats" will be available in the front of the Loeb Drama Center auditorium, allowing audience members to experience the Human-Ocean showdown from the floor of the Global Senate. See a seating map here.

"As we make climate a focal point of our work at A.R.T., we are once again inviting audiences to join us as we radically reimagine our relationship with the planet," said Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus. "Several seasons ago, HUCE Director Dan Schrag approached me about how we might communicate the urgency of the climate crisis to a broader public. With Dan's support, HUCE has commissioned a series of new works exploring the many different facets of climate change and celebrating resiliency and imagination. This partnership has led to groundbreaking exchange between artists and Harvard scientists, and I can't wait for audiences to see what this team has created."

In conjunction with performances of Ocean Filibuster at A.R.T., partnerships between the theater and community organizations will provide audiences with information and actions around local marine ecologies and efforts to protect them in the following ways:

• An art collection in A.R.T.'s lobby curated by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs
  Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs empowers youth to connect, create, and communicate through a number of programs, including its Ocean Awareness Contest.

• "Talk to a Cod" conversations facilitated by Conservation Law Foundation

Conservation Law Foundation forges lasting solutions for New England's most critical environmental challenges, using the law, science, and the market as tools for advocacy.

• Free public workshops about coastal habitats and Massachusetts wildlife provided by Mass Audubon.

Mass Audubon protects the nature of Massachusetts for people and for wildlife.

Additional information about Ocean Filibuster partnerships and associated activities will be announced at a later date.

Production support of Ocean Filibuster is provided by Serena and Bill Lese. American Repertory Theater 2021/22 programming support is provided by Harvard University, The Barr Foundation, The Bob and Alison Murchison New Work Development Fund, The Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Bank of America, Barton & Guestier, Meyer Sound, and JetBlue. A.R.T. 2021/22 programming is dedicated to the memory of Karen Mueller in recognition of her many contributions to the theater.

TICKETING INFORMATION / UPDATED COVID POLICIES

Tickets from $25 are available at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/OceanFilibuster. Discounts are available to students and ticket-buyers under age 25, Blue Star families, EBT card holders, seniors, Harvard faculty and staff, and others. More information at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/PlanYourVisit.

Audience, artist, and staff safety is A.R.T.'s top priority. The theater is taking many steps to protect against COVID-19. Enhanced ventilation, universal masking, vaccination including booster shots, and testing are critical cornerstones of our multi-layered mitigation efforts that prioritize the safety of our community. Audience protocols have recently been updated; visit A.R.T.'s website for a full list of current ticketing and attendance protocols and procedures: AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/Covid19Protocols.

As noted above, a limited number of "Senate Seats" will be available in the front of the Loeb Drama Center auditorium, allowing audience members to experience the Human-Ocean showdown from the floor of the Global Senate. See a seating map here.

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