Deep History
70 minutes, no intermission
Deep History - 2024 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
Public Theater [Susan Stein Shiva Theater]
425 Lafayette Street New York, NY
At the end of 2019, in the English countryside, Australian playwright David Finnigan began writing a play about the six turning points that have brought us to this moment in time—our ecosystems transformed, our planet on the brink of unthinkable climate disaster. But then Finnigan's hometown of Canberra was hit by bushfires. As an area the size of England burned and one billion animals perished, he started to receive texts from loved ones racing to evacuate amid the devastation.
In a performance that interweaves 75,000 years of humanity with the incredibly personal account of his best friend’s escape, Finnigan calls on scientific research, phone footage, and a very personal story to illuminate the transforming planet and how we’ve arrived here. An extraordinary ride through human history, DEEP HISTORY is shot through with humor and glowing with hope.
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Deep History
Climate Hopefulness Faces the Fire in Deep History
7 / 10
The structural gambit lends short, cheap pieces like Deep History, which runs to 70 minutes, a level of expansiveness they might not be able to achieve otherwise and sends you out the door with a grabby level of surprise and some tantalizing open questions. (And, in this case, a needle drop.) But then you think, How about we examine those open questions? “So how can we reconcile clear-headedness with an appropriate sense of immediacy?” “If baseline survival at all costs isn’t the right metric, what is?” Art need not have the answers here, but you’d like Finnigan to spend a little more time in the process of synthesis, spelunking around in the dark pondering what they might be.
Deep History Review. The Climate Crisis is Here.
7 / 10
Running parallel to Finnigan’s explication of thousands of years of human history is a moment-by-moment account of out-of-control fires in 2019 surrounding his hometown of Canberra that threatened his best friend and his family. This didn’t really achieve the tension and suspense that it was clearly meant to inject into “Deep History.” But it did not need to; members of the audience already have tension aplenty from the current news reports full of climate emergencies.
by Nicole Rosky - October 11, 2024
The Public Theater just celebrated opening night for the North American premiere of DEEP HISTORY, a solo show by Australian playwright and performer David Finnigan. Check out what the critics are saying and read all the reviews!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - September 26, 2024
The Public Theater will begin performances for the North American premiere of DEEP HISTORY, a solo show by Australian playwright and performer David Finnigan, with a Joseph Papp Free Performance in October. The production has been extended! Learn how to purchase tickets.
Deep History History
Other Productions of Deep History
| 2024 | Off-Broadway |
Public Theater Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
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