S.H.A.R.K play written and directed by Reid Campbell, Costumes by Monika Wildemann
S.H.A.R.K
The Future Bites
People, Places, Species
A music-comedy by Reid Campbell
Parks Canada stepped outside the park boundaries and commissioned playwright Reid Campbell to write a comedy with music about the Piping Plover, the Blanding’s Turtle, the Ribbon Snake and the Flying Squirrel. Why? These creatures represent animals and plants which are species at risk (S.A.R.). They are disappearing from Nova Scotia.
In writing the play, Reid has reversed roles for humans and animals. The animal population is very concerned for the future viability of humans. Where are the young adults? Turtle forms ‘The Society for Humans At Risk Kejimkujik (S.H.A.R.K.). Their mission is to study the threatened population and come up with a plan. Turtle interprets the dwindling numbers to mean a die off in the twenty-something human population. Nova Scotians will recognize this as the increasing out-migration of young people to western Canada. Not all of the animals agree that anything can be or should be done.
Everyone has heard of the Piping Plover. The subject of species at risk is not normally a laughing matter. The question is can people learn about the plight of these threatened animals and about lessening the impact of human activity and have fun? The answer is ‘yes’!
Stewardship Biologists at Parks Canada have teamed up with Keji Staff,
MTRI, and Bear River First Nations to collaborate with playwright Reid
Campbell and create "SHARK", a play with music about Species at Risk
and the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. Alexi Payzant, Brennan
Caverhill, Jennifer McKinnon, and Shalan Joudry form the cast and
crew, who will be animating the plight of Species at Risk in southwest
Nova Scotia in this quirky comedy.
Costumes and masks designed and
created by Monika Wildemann, artistic director of Wee Giant Theatre.
Photos Thanks to Parks Canada
Read MoreThe Future Bites
People, Places, Species
A music-comedy by Reid Campbell
Parks Canada stepped outside the park boundaries and commissioned playwright Reid Campbell to write a comedy with music about the Piping Plover, the Blanding’s Turtle, the Ribbon Snake and the Flying Squirrel. Why? These creatures represent animals and plants which are species at risk (S.A.R.). They are disappearing from Nova Scotia.
In writing the play, Reid has reversed roles for humans and animals. The animal population is very concerned for the future viability of humans. Where are the young adults? Turtle forms ‘The Society for Humans At Risk Kejimkujik (S.H.A.R.K.). Their mission is to study the threatened population and come up with a plan. Turtle interprets the dwindling numbers to mean a die off in the twenty-something human population. Nova Scotians will recognize this as the increasing out-migration of young people to western Canada. Not all of the animals agree that anything can be or should be done.
Everyone has heard of the Piping Plover. The subject of species at risk is not normally a laughing matter. The question is can people learn about the plight of these threatened animals and about lessening the impact of human activity and have fun? The answer is ‘yes’!
Stewardship Biologists at Parks Canada have teamed up with Keji Staff,
MTRI, and Bear River First Nations to collaborate with playwright Reid
Campbell and create "SHARK", a play with music about Species at Risk
and the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. Alexi Payzant, Brennan
Caverhill, Jennifer McKinnon, and Shalan Joudry form the cast and
crew, who will be animating the plight of Species at Risk in southwest
Nova Scotia in this quirky comedy.
Costumes and masks designed and
created by Monika Wildemann, artistic director of Wee Giant Theatre.
Photos Thanks to Parks Canada