SÄVË THË WHÄLËS, ETC. Announced At Boston Playwrights' Theatre

Boston Playwrights' Theatre (BPT) continues its 2022-23 season with Sävë thë Whälës, etc. by David L. Caruso. Running from November 3-13, the play is directed by Noah Putterman.

Sävë thë Whälës, etc. is an environmental comedy which follows two Americans and two Canadians on a tour of the last glacier on Earth. As they race to comprehend the final messages from the melting ice, they consider how to best use our remaining time together on this planet-and discover that delight, and even hope, are still possible.

Playwright Caruso says the inspiration for the play came from close to home-an island on Lake Superior where much of his family still live.

"In recent years, it's become an eco-tourist destination," Caruso says. "There has been lots of talk recently about welcoming 'climate change migrants' as other parts of the country become uninhabitable, and the Northwoods' water richness becomes essential. So, tourism, climate, community...these are things that are on my mind all the time."

In terms of form, Caruso says it was important that there be a strong relationship between audience and ensemble.

"I grew up enamored with Boal and Brecht and others who had a keen sense that 'Hey, there's an audience in the room with us. How do we invite them in?'" he says. "How do we remind them that they are all together with us right now? Which is no small thing. How can this play, this emotional experience, beget or inspire future anti-capitalist, pro-climate action?"

Caruso's other plays include Through Hike (Finalist, Int'l Thomas Wolfe Playwriting Competition), Forest Knowledge (Company One, Acts of Joy Series), and Bill & Stephanie (High Honors, Wesleyan University). David's plays have been developed at Playdate Theatre, Boston Playwrights' Theatre, and the Boston University School of Theatre.

Director Noah Putterman returns to BPT after helming Gone Nowhere by Daniel C. Blanda last season. Putterman holds an M.F.A. in Directing from Boston University, and previously served as the Director of Education and Theatre for Youth at Casa Mañana Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas, where he directed dozens of professional and youth productions.

All the plays in BPT's 2022-23 season were written by the Boston University M.F.A. Playwriting Program class of 2023, and will be co-produced with the Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Theatre as part of its New Play Initiative.

BPT's season continues in December with OTP by Elise Wien; Jado Jehad by Fatima A. Maan (February); and Alligator-a-Phobia in 3D! (April), a play with music by Jay Eddy.

BPT's COVID-19 Safety procedures proved to be very effective in keeping audiences and performers safe last season; audiences will be required to wear masks for the duration of their time at the theatre. Up-to-the-minute information regarding performance schedules, COVID-19 protocols and ticketing can be found on the BPT website (www.BostonPlaywrights.org) under Visit Us > COVID-19 Safety.

ABOUT BOSTON PLAYWRIGHTS' THEATRE

Boston Playwrights' Theatre (BPT) is an award-winning professional theatre at Boston University (BU) dedicated to new works. Founded in 1981 by Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, the heart of BPT's mission is the production of new plays by students and alumni of BU's M.F.A. Playwriting Program-a collaboration with BU's renowned School of Theatre. The program's award-winning alumni have been produced in regional and New York houses, as well as in London's West End. BPT's productions have been honored with numerous regional and Boston awards, including awards from the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) and Boston Critics' Association (Elliot Norton Awards).

The BU New Play Initiative (NPI) expresses our commitment to the School's participation in the development of new work. This special initiative provides playwrights, directors, designers, and actors with a variety of developmental options to support the collaborative creation of new work for the theatre. Students, faculty, alumni, and guest artists are given the opportunity to utilize the creativity of the rehearsal room to develop their plays, which are then presented through workshop productions. But the life of these new plays doesn't end on the BU stages. Many New Play Initiative productions are often later fully produced by member companies of our Professional Theatre Initiative. www.bu.edu/cfa/npi

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