Youth Activism Theatrical Production IF THE BELLS WOULD RING Comes to The Tank This Month

Ecosystemic Magazine, Fridays for Future New York City, Fridays for Future USA (FFFUSA), and the New York Youth Climate Leaders present the political drama If the Bells Would Ring written and directed by Elson Bankoff. For three performances only, the youth-produced show will kick off New York City Climate Week at The Tank (312 W 36th St., New York, NY 10018) on Friday, September 16 at 9:30 PM, Saturday, September 17 at 12:00 PM, and 9:30 PM. Tickets are priced on a sliding scale between $5 - $10 and are available online. Press are invited to every performance.

If the Bells Would Ring is a two-act play-written and produced by youth activists-about the greed, devastation, passion, and resilience surrounding the climate crisis. As the generation who is ultimately the most affected by our changing climate, it is important that young activists be able to communicate the power imbalances that continue to propel this crisis.

Through prose, poetry, and monologues, the play tells the story of a fictional Midwestern Senator, Bill Corley, who becomes increasingly influenced by corporate greed and lobbying. This eventually leads to his intense opposition to climate action. The story explores narratives such as Bill's daughter, Juliet, a passionate young climate activist, as well as Bill's wife, Katherine, and their younger daughter, Abigail. Other characters include a conservative T.V. show personality, a lobbyist for a massive oil company, and a young Congresswoman fighting for climate action.

FFFUSA, Ecosystemic Magazine, as well as many other youth climate groups sponsoring the play, see art as a necessary tool to combat the ecological, economic, and social crisis we are facing. Movements become strongest when we can reveal the underlying humanity behind the issues inflicting so much damage. Why do we chase power? What does this lead to? When do we become complacent and when do we start to care? If the Bells Would Ring uses the theater as a space for the audience to experience a protest, a talkshow, and a classroom. Our audiences will have the chance to connect with topics that only cross their minds in headlines and concepts. The characters and plot humanize complex political topics and failures of American democracy. It is a play about influence that traces power from a handshake to a hurricane.

Through its ability to bring words to life, theatre reaches parts of people that other media simply cannot. A movement as broad and transformational as climate justice needs to be presented in a way that helps viewers form a relationship with the issue, to ultimately propel them to action. As the climate crisis has gradually entered public discourse, new climate-themed works have been produced and staged, but none have been produced by youth activists at the scale of If the Bells Would Ring. From the writing and the producing, to the finances and even the technical production - and almost everyone involved in the show has experience in grassroots climate organizing. Through this project, we hope to create an equitable, collaborative environment for everyone - from actors to the technical crew - by compensating activists for their time, and to inspire the audience to action.

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