Nicole Alivojvodic Reviews A Brief History of Human Extinction On Now Until October 20th At The Cultch

From Up in the Air Theatre comes this relevant and rousing tale of the two last surviving humans on planet earth. The year is 2178 and a fungal plague has rendered the surface of the planet uninhabitable, killing everyone and everything in its path. Created by award winning playwright Jordan Hall and Mind of a Snail Puppet Co., A Brief History of Human Extinction uniquely combines comedic theatre with the emerging cli-fi genre, exploring questions about human nature and our culpability in the destruction of our planet.

Trapped inside a scientific facility sealed off to the poisonous outside world, the last man, Adam, and woman, Ever, on earth prepare for the launch of “the Ark”, a ship that will carry human genetic legacy to a new home on a far away planet. Ever and Adam grapple with their impending doom and attempt to carry out the mission that they’ve been assigned while also struggling to suppress their selfish nature and instinct to hope for better things. In the play, the obvious biblical references are interestingly intertwined with the distinctly modern concept of the anthropocene. The play is seemingly suggesting that the destruction of civilization due to climate change is an act of divine retribution for the sins of humankind towards each other and our environment. The heavy, and frankly depressing, subject matter is mixed in with some comic relief and beautiful animation, making the play not only thought provoking, but entertaining!