Staging the End of the World

<p>This book is a brief history of the end of the world as seen through the eyes of theatre. Since its inception theatre has staged the fall of empires floods doomsdays shipwrecks earthquakes plagues environmental degradations warfare nuclear annihilation and the catastrophic effects of climate change. Using a wide range of plays alongside contemporary thinkers this study helps guide and galvanize the reader in grappling with the climate crisis. <p/> Kulick divides this litany of theatrical cataclysms into four distinct historical phases: the Ancients including Euripides and Bhasa the legendary Sanskrit dramatist; the Age of Belief with the anonymous authors of the medieval mystery cycles Shakespeare and Pushkin; the Moderns with Ibsen Chekhov Brecht Beckett and Bond; and finally the way the world might end now encompassing Caryl Churchill Tony Kushner and Anne Washburn<i>.</i> In tandem with the insights gleaned from these playwrights the book draws upon the work of contemporary scientists ecologists and ethicists to further tease out the philosophical implications of such plays and their relevance to our own troubled times. In the end Kulick shows how each of these ages and their respective authors have something essential to say not only about humanity's potential end but more importantly about the possibility for our collective continuance.</p>