- The New York Times
- THE PITCH
- KANSAS CITY METROPOLIS
THE GREAT IMMENSITY
Written and Directed By: Steve Cosson
Music and Lyrics By: Michael Friedman
In a thrilling and timely production presented in association with The Public Theater, The Great Immensity is a continent-hopping thriller following a woman, Phyllis, as she pursues her husband Karl who disappeared from a tropical island while on an assignment for a nature show.
Through her search, Phyllis uncovers a mysterious plot surrounding the upcoming international climate summit in Paris. As the days count down to the summit, Phyllis must decipher the plan and possibly stop it in time. With arresting projected film and video and a wide-ranging score of songs, The Great Immensity is a highly theatrical look into one of the most vital questions of our time: how can we change ourselves and our society in time to solve the enormous environmental challenges that confront us?
Written and directed by:
Steve Cosson
Music and lyrics by:
Michael Friedman
FEATURING
Damian Baldet
Cindy Cheung
Dan Domingues
Rebecca Hart
Trey Lyford
Chris Sullivan
Erin Wilhelmi
Director: Steve Cosson
Scenic Design: Mimi Lien
Costume Design: Sarah Beers
Lighting Design: Jeff Croiter
Sound Design: Alex Hawthorn
Based on the original Sound Design by: Ken Travis
Music Director: Andrea Grody
Projection Design: Jason H. Thompson
Choreography: Tracy Bersley
Production Stage Manager: Terri K. Kohler
The play received its world premiere production at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, from February 18 – March 17, 2012.
The New York premiere was produced by the Public Theater, as part of their Public Lab Series, from April 11 – May 1, 2012.
Development:
The Great Immensity was developed in 2009-2010 in collaboration with the Princeton Environmental Institute at Princeton University.
The play received a Work-In-Progress showing on April 17, 2010 at the Berlind Theatre at the McCarter Theatre Center at Princeton University.
The Public Theater in New York presented a reading of THE GREAT IMMENSITY as part of the New Work Now! Festival on May 12, 2010. The play received readings at the Barrow Street Theater in October of 2010 and in Manhattan Theatre Club’s 7@7 series on April 11, 2011. Excerpts were read at CUNY’s Graduate Center as a special Earth Day Event on April 22, 2011.
NEW YORK TIMES: “What’s truly enticing in ‘The Great Immensity’ is hearing such sentiments expressed in the vivifying context of musical numbers.”
THE HUFFINGTON POST: “Steve Cosson, who founded The Civilians in 2001, not only directs this piece of superior work, but has also written it based on the group’s research into the issue. And believe you me, he hasn’t settled for a dry polemic. Instead, he couches — you could say he disguises — his dire warnings in a tale of suspense built around a global climate conference in Paris just days away.”
KANSAS CITY METROPOLIS: “…amusing, edifying, and ultimately maddening, which is also the point”
KC STAGE: “Rating: 5 of 5… The real drama of The Great Immensity is our human response to the global issues we face… rush on down before it closes…”
THE PITCH: “It’s an overwhelming topic, global warming, but this show makes it both immediate and accessible.”
STAGE AND SCREAM KANSAS CITY:”The creative highlights of this production include Friedman’s songs, which are graced with clever lyrics and offbeat storytelling devices while remaining melodically infectious.”
UNIVERSITY NEWS:”an entertaining blend of smarts, humor and emotions”
THE HUFFINGTON POST: Can A Play Change The Planet?
THE POLAR FIELD SERVICES NEWSLETTER: “Exploring Climate Change on Stage”
THE LEWIS CENTER FOR THE ARTS: Princeton Atelier PEI Project Makes Off-Broadway Debut
PEI NEWSLETTER: Cover Story about the Work-in-Progress Showings at Princeton
PEI NEWS:”The Making of The Great Immensity” Interview with Steve Cosson
National Science Foundation Award Announcements
NEW YORK TIMES: Culture Section
NEW YORK TIMES: Science Section
Other Reviews
RESILIENCE: Review Cluster, Anthony Lioi
Testimonials:
How do we bring the world’s attention to a problem which can, literally, kill us all, yet seems to have no immediate impact on our lives? It is a measure of The Civilians’ ambition that they are willing to take on this challenge. Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director at The Public Theatre
The Great Immensity was one of those shows that sticks with you. It was funny and alarming while telling a damned good story. Illuminating the desperate straits of climate change we are leaving our children through the eyes of those children was very ingenious and ultimately very moving. Amy Larkin, Author, Environmental Debt: The Hidden Costs of a Changing Global Economy
The Great Immensity was definitely a sobering and shocking experience about the realities of climate change. The beautiful Cadence of this particular play was that it was vested in hopes and dreams of a better world, ideology against all odds. People/Critics would rather dilute their sense of personal responsibility than face a contrasting reality that directly challenges their way of life. The Great Immensity challenges you to flip the switch on a sinking ship and get active to save what we have now or at least prepare for the coming tomorrow. This play has moved me greatly, being on the front lines of the Tarsands expansion and watching the devastation of our ecosystem and our indigenous way of life. I just want to say thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for bringing these issues to life. It’s something tangible, something people will talk about, something to get the dialogue moving forward. Gitz Crazyboy, Indigenous Canadian Climate Activist from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
We tell stories so that we can understand things. We tell stories so that we can connect. We tell stories so that otherwise inexpressible things can make sense to a theater filled with complete strangers. I felt, in the moments after leaving The Public, a terrible responsibility. Elizabeth Seldin, Audience Member
Amazed by The Civilians’ The Great Immensity. A vital, essential work of ensemble theater that is too powerful to be ignored. Andrew Cornelius, Audience Member
Above is the first video in the Civilians’ Video Skype Interview Series, in which we are talking to people who are making a big difference in the environmental challenges that we all face through the arts, creative thinking, and taking action. The video above is our interview with Louie Psihoyos, Academy Award-winning director of The Cove.
Louie Psihoyos is an American photographer and documentary film director known for his still photography and contributions to National Geographic. Psihoyos, a licensed scuba-diver, has become increasingly concerned with bringing awareness to underwater life.
For more information, please visit:
The Cove
The Oceanic Preservation Society
Interview conducted by Alix Lambert. Alix Lambert is an artist, author and filmmaker. She is an Associate Artist of The Civilians and is conducting this ongoing series of interviews for The Great Immensity.
For more videos in the series, please click HERE!
Check out Barro Colorado Island:
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Barro Colorado Webcam
Click on any of the links below for more information on Churchill, Manitoba:
Churchill, Manitoba
Polar Bear International