England-2011-greenland
Greenland at the National Theatre, Friday 11 February 2011
Travel
We'll meet at the National Theatre at 18:00 on Friday, just outside the doors on the North side of the building near the South bank of the Thames. I'm planning on bringing dinner (bread, cheese, fruit, salami, etc.) for us to eat in the public area inside the theatre on the first floor (just inside either of the doors marked below).
The two closet Tube stations are Embankment and Waterloo. If you use Embankment you will need to take the footbridge across the Thames that's located just outside the Tube station, head to the East as you exit the footbridge. If you go to Waterloo you will need to circle around to the North side of the National to find the entrance doors.
If you get there early there is plenty to do in the immediate vicinity, a nice skate park, used book vendors, park benches with a nice view of the Thames, etc.
Preparation
1. Read a bit about the play Greenland. The National Theatre's website has background information about it and the playwrights who wrote it. The play was commissioned by the National and follows in a long line of works dating back to the early 1980s that seek to address the big questions/problems facing society as a result of technology and the changes it brings.
2. Listen to the This American Life segment called Climate Changes, People Don't. The details are on the assignments page.
Plan
After the play there will be opportunity for us to participate in a discussion about the play:
After each performance of Greenland , there will be the chance to discuss and debate the complex issues raised in the play by sitting at the ‘Talkaoke’ table. Talkaoke, presented by ‘The People Speak’, is a unique interactive discussion format for sharing views, engaging with a variety of different perspectives and debating with other members of the audience.
More information is available at http://talkaoke.com
Blogger and Photographer
We will need two volunteers from the studio audience to take pictures and write-up/post a blog entry about this excursion. Get in touch if you are interested.
Science, Technology and Society
See the assignments page for the This American Life segment to listen to beforehand and a description of the write-up that's due afterwords.
