Supercell
Slowdanger
Thursday, September 21st, 2023 Located at Kogod Theatre, The Clarice
The purpose of Supercell was to draw attention towards the ideas of climate change, environmental degradation, societal collapse and desensitization. Set in what appears to be an apocalyptic aftermath of a climate disaster, the actors take turns performing different dances and monologues. Each dance and monologue are meant to generate an eerie and ominous atmosphere, while telling a story that relates to each of the 'characters' and those characters' journeys. During their performances, subtle hints about climate effects are discussed, such as the apocalyptic scene of not seeing anyone for days, an absence of rain and water, thick and dry air, plants (specifically roses) dying, along with a raggedy and dirty appearance. The dances were designed to demonstrate the emotion, terror, longing, and the physical and psychological pain that comes with a world humanity cannot thrive or survive in. After the performance ended, there was a Q&A where the actors explained that they consulted with scientists, anthropologists, climatologists, choreographers and other artists in an attempt to articulate the increasingly alarming impacts of a changing climate, and how that will cause our environment to change in the coming years if we don’t take action now and start conversations to increase attention and advocacy.
After initially leaving the performance, I did not leave thinking about climate change, and I did not feel the urge to take action. However, as I sat thinking about the event longer, I realized that the tactics that were used were extremely effective. Throughout the whole performance, my peers and I were extremely uncomfortable with the way the actors were speaking, the way there were cameras projecting close ups of their faces onto a screen, the loud screaming, the smoke machines, and the dark lights. The acting was creepy, along with their expressions. This made me realize that the performance was not meant to be enjoyed; it was not meant to be a relaxing experience. It was supposed to make the audience feel uneasy because climate change is not something that can be tippy-toed around; it is serious and needs immediate attention. That agonizing feeling that was produced by the actors and environment is what is meant to be the driving force behind people advocating for change. Speaking about climate change can easily turn into a difficult and uncomfortable conversation. It is difficult to hear about all the dangers that could be waiting in the future for humanity, such as food shortages, extreme weather events, infrastructure collapse and environmental related deaths. Although these conversations are uncomfortable, they are important, just like the advocacy that the play demonstrates. There is no reason climate change should be sugar coated so people can digest it easier. The more we 'dance' around the issue, the worse it will get, and time is running out until we reach tipping points all across the world that will direct us toward the apocalyptic scene portrayed in Supercell. Some scientists believe that we have already reached certain tipping points, so I believe that the emotions the performance stirred are important in drawing attention to the issue.
Although I believe that the overall message that Supercell conveyed through speech, lighting, atmosphere and dance was bold and convincing, there are still critiques that need to be acknowledged. The performance was often difficult to follow. In attempting to portray their characters as insane and 'crazed' the actors often mumbled and spoke in different intervals loudly and softly. My peers and I all agreed that these constant changes in tone and inconsistent annunciation caused us to miss a lot of the information that was being said, some of which could have been crucial to the message. It was hard to understand and made retaining the information much more difficult. Furthermore, there was often a lot going on at once, between lighting, music, dancing, smoke effects, making not only the talking hard to follow, but the scene as well. Focusing on one specific point was near impossible, once again, making the main message hard to take away. After the performance, my peers and I discussed how overstimulating the performance was and how we all left with headaches, rather than discuss the message it was sending about climate change. If there was less going on throughout the performance, and the actors spoke more clearly, I think the message would have been a lot more clear and made for better discussion and understanding. Overall, I applaud all of those who were behind the creation of supercell.