Fifty Degrees of Now

The theatre project “Fifty Degrees of Now” at the Stadttheater Giessen uses themes from Kim Stanley Robinson’s climate fiction novel “The Ministry for the Future” as a foil to consider how internal processes at the theatre can be conducted in a more resource-friendly manner.

The project ties into the themes of vigilance, resistance, revolution and revolt, with which Simone Sterr kicked off her term as general theatre director at the beginning of the 2022/23 season. Two people in the fight against climate catastrophe. A doctor in India, where millions of people are perishing as temperature soar far above 50° C, and a director of a UN agency committed to stopping climate change. Can a “Ministry for the Future” democratically introduce the necessary measures in politics, commerce and industry? Or is it necessary to engage in even more radical forms of resistance?

In preparation for the Hessian Theatre Festival in 2024, the architectural firm "sanfte strukturen" will design a meadow pavilion to serve as a place of encounter. Throughout the project period, the pavilion will be used for workshops for employees on such topics as alternative materials, renewable energies, landmark protection, digitalisation and personnel structure. The goal is to convert the production of the theatre’s set department into a modular system using recycled materials which could be used by all the other productions. The sustainability agency Yool has agreed to support the Stadttheater Giessen by developing an emissions-free marketing strategy. To advertise the production, organisers plan to spread the word around town by means of chalked posters on the pavements – akin to guerrilla marketing.