ALL GOOD THINGS MUST BEGIN Launches Downstage's 20th Season

To kick off their 20th season, Downstage is coming together with the Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation and Climate Change Theatre Action for All Good Things Must Begin, from November 17 - 19, 2023 at Motel Theatre, Arts Commons.

Climate Change Theatre Action launched in 2015 as a worldwide festival of short plays about the climate crisis. The theme of this year's selection of short plays is inspired by the journal entry of American science fiction writer Octavia Butler: “All Good Things Must Begin.” Winning science fiction's highest honours, Octavia Butler was also incredibly prescient, writing about extremism, racial justice, and climate change 30 years ago. 

“It is a joy to collaborate with the Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation and Climate Change Theatre Action on such a playfully poignant production. The curation team has chosen eight new short plays from International Artists that bring a wide range of perspectives to the incredibly important topic of climate change and how we move forward as members of a global society,” said Downstage Artistic Director and All Good Things Must Begin Co-Director, Clare Preuss. 

“The plays are very different in style and will provide an exuberant evening of thought-provoking entertainment. After the show, audiences will be invited to join us for a long-table discussion about the plays and the topics that they stir up. We're excited to gather in community for an evening of visionary theatre and stimulating conversation," added Preuss.

This year's eight commissioned playwrights dive into worlds where successes and failures exist side by side, and where hope, courage and grief overlap.

“I strongly believe in the profound impact theatre can have on our perspectives and lives. It fills me with immense joy to participate in this project dedicated to raising awareness about an issue that significantly shapes both our present and future,” said co-director Saeid Asgarian. “As an immigrant artist, I am delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate once more with Canadian artists, deepening my insights into the rich Canadian art community.”

Duet, Created by Annie Furman
Duet presents existential questions about loneliness, connection, and the human experience. Through a dialogue between multiple voices, it explores the vastness of space and time, the desire for companionship, and the potential for change and growth.

The Returning, Created by Emma Gibson
Three women from different times – Anna, a pearl diver from the past, Anne, a survivor in the present, and Ani, a bride from the future – find strength and beauty in their respective worlds despite their challenges. They are united by the ocean, which serves as a symbol of hope and connection, allowing them to cherish the moments that make life meaningful.

A Hummingbird's Ululation, Created by Aleya Kassam
The storyteller engages the audience in an interactive storytelling experience, drawing from the rich oral storytelling practices of Kenya. The tale begins with a devastating fire that threatens the forest. Then a little hummingbird takes action, inspiring the other creatures to do their best to put out the fire. Together, they work as a community, using their unique abilities and talents to save the forest and replant a new one.

Actors Ready?, Created by Ethan King
The Stage Manager, once a master at controlling a theatre's world, reflects on their past as they struggle to find meaning in a chaotic and technology-driven present. Longing for simpler times, they discover hope in the ability of storytelling to shape and rebuild their real world.

Wild Parsnips, Created by Tira Palmquist
A is a knowledgeable forager who encounters B, someone who is concerned about the environment but lacks understanding about wild plants. Through their conversation, A educates B about the benefits of responsible foraging and how it can contribute to the preservation of public lands and native species.

You Are Not Alone, Created by Nicole Pschetz
River experiences surreal and transformative encounters with nature and the environment, leading them to the profound realization that they are connected to all living beings. Through these experiences, River discovers hope and a sense of belonging, despite the challenges the world faces.

A Little Green, Created by Charly Evon Simpson
GP and GC share a moment of reflection while standing by a tree. GC, up in the tree, struggles to see beyond the devastation caused by fire, while GP, at the foot of the tree, encourages them to look in different ways and find hope amidst the destruction.

50 Ways to End Mother Earth – In Under Five Minutes!, Created by Kirby Vicente
In a feat of acting, the narrator(s) must list 50 ways to end Mother Earth in just 5 minutes. The play calls attention to the ways individuals, corporations, and governments continue to live in denial of environmental degradation and injustice, and perpetuate harm.

Directors - Saeid Asgarian and Clare Preuss
Actors - Tara Beagan, FIlsan Dualeh, Ishani Hemant, Petra Schovankova
Sound Designer - Cristhian Poblete Hernández
Lighting Designer and Production Manager - Adam Kostiuk
Stage Manager - Naomi Esau
Publicity - Aldona B Creative
Downstage Producing Team - Adam Kostiuk, Bianca Miranda, Clare Preuss, Katherine Rawlinson, Danielle Whyte, Elsha Yeyesuswork
Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation Producing Team - Toyin Oladele, Smitha Varghese

Downstage is an award-winning Calgary-based theatre company dedicated to producing plays that create meaningful conversation around social issues. Their plays provoke vibrant dialogue between Calgarians, both informally and through nightly post-performance discussions. For more information on Downstage, please visit www.downstage.ca.

The Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation is an Alberta-based arts council. ICAI was established in January 2019, with the expressed purpose of connecting newcomer artists and arts and culture workers to the existing arts community in Alberta. ICAI actively encourages diversity of expression and culture by creating a safe and welcoming community where newcomer and immigrant art workers with distinct cultural identities feel confident to share their work in a new environment. 

Launched in 2015, Climate Change Theatre Action is a worldwide festival of short plays about the climate crisis presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings.

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