Anthropocene: Staging The Future

An·thro·po·cene: /ˈanTHrəpəˌsēn/ the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.

Internationally acclaimed theater director and creator Thaddeus Phillips will talk about the underpinnings, the basis and challenge of his new theatrical adventure, ANTROPOCENO - a new work that begins development for the Teatro de La Abadía in Madrid, Spain in June of 2019. This talk will go over the challenges of creating theater that deals with our climate crisis and the very serious future we may face and look at how theater can address these challenges and the idea of the Anthropocene itself - an age that some claim began with the dropping of the Atomic Bomb and will go into our future evolution.

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Thaddeus Phillips

Thaddeus Phillips is an internationally acclaimed theater director, designer & performer originally from Denver, CO. He directs with a highly visual style centered around cinematic and transformative stage designs. Recent credits include the development and direction of A Billion Nights on Earth (BAM Next Wave Festival + New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas). Midnight Train to Marrakesh and Ankomsten(a theatrical adaptation of Shaun Tan’s graphic novel ‘The Arrival’) for Teateri in Sweden. Other Directing credits include: RED-EYE to HAVRE de GRACE, an action-opera about the last days of E.A. Poe (NYTW and USA Tour), The Incredibly Dangerous Astonishing Lucrative and Potentially Completely True Adventures of Barry Seal (FringeArts Festival), Flamingo/Winnebago (Kimo Theater, Albuquerque), WHaLE OPTICS (Prince Music Theatre, Philadelphia), and The Earth’s Sharp Edge (La MaMa E.T.C.). As a performer and creator, he began his career playing King Lear in collaboration with various objects found in a suitcase (La MaMa and in various cafes, theaters and streets across the USA). He created, designed and appeared in Capsule 33 (Barrow Street Theater), ¡EL CONQUISTADOR! (NYTW + International Tour – Lucille Lortel and Drama League Nominations), The MeLTING BRiDgE (Plays & Players, Philadelphia); Lost Soles (La MaMa E.T.C. + USA Tour), Henry Five Live from Times Square.  Phillips’ original theatrical work has been presented Internationally in Moscow (Territory Festival), Hong Kong (International Arts Festival), Romania (Bucharest FestCo Festival), Norway (Non-Stop Festival), Spain (Festival de Otoño), México (Escena de Artes), Holland (Noorderzon Festival), Colombia (Teatro Nacional), Czech Republic (4 + 4 Days Festival), Poland (Bytom Festival), Italy (La Mama Spoleto Festival), Costa Rica (Teatro Jaco), Slovenia (Mladi Levi), Ireland (International Fringe Festival), England (Arcola Theatre), Scotland (Summerhall + Traverse), and Serbia (Serijino Pozorje Festival). Nationally, his work has been seen Off-Broadway and at festivals and theaters in New York (Under the Radar, La MaMa, Here, PS#122), ArtsEmerson (Boston), On the Boards (Seattle), MassMoca (North Adams, MA), Tricklock’s Revolutions International Festival (Albuquerque), and in New Orleans, Chicago, Denver, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Miami, Sarasota, New Haven, Colorado Springs, and Tampa. Phillips studied at the Colorado College and Charles University (DAMU) in Prague and with Encho Avramov and the Czech director Josef Krofta. On film, he appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Sony Pictures), Mi Gente Linda, Mi Gente Bella (Caracol) and on TV in Alias El Mexicano (FoxTelecolombia), El Capo 3 (MundoFox), Celia (Telemundo), and Narcos (Netflix).

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