Last Catastrophist

by David Valdes

Marina, one of the last two climatologists on earth, has hidden herself on the coast of Iceland to escape increasing threats from Eternal Sunshine, a dark ops force dedicated to harassing climate scientists into silence. But when Lucia, her one remaining peer, shows up unannounced, a cat-and-mouse game ensues. Are they allies? Enemies? Who works for who? A suspenseful two-woman show, Last Catastrophist draws on...

Marina, one of the last two climatologists on earth, has hidden herself on the coast of Iceland to escape increasing threats from Eternal Sunshine, a dark ops force dedicated to harassing climate scientists into silence. But when Lucia, her one remaining peer, shows up unannounced, a cat-and-mouse game ensues. Are they allies? Enemies? Who works for who? A suspenseful two-woman show, Last Catastrophist draws on climate science and real life events to imagine life on the brink.

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Last Catastrophist

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: Last Catastrophist by David Valdes
    “

    A fantastic adventure brining climate science to life in a suspenseful plot that keeps us at the edge of our seat. Well done!

    A fantastic adventure brining climate science to life in a suspenseful plot that keeps us at the edge of our seat. Well done!

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: Last Catastrophist by David Valdes
    “

    A prescient, kind of terrifyingly-plausible piece of speculative fiction! Marina and Lucia are both characters with potent goals, with engrossing mystery surrounding their circumstances, and in a strangely wide-open-yet-claustrophobic environment. The tension mounts consistently throughout the piece until it reaches a fever pitch in the final third of the play. While climate science is the topic of this piece, I found the conversations about and the exploration of moral/ethical compromise and survival in an oppressive socio-political context applicable to any number of issues. I hope this play...

    A prescient, kind of terrifyingly-plausible piece of speculative fiction! Marina and Lucia are both characters with potent goals, with engrossing mystery surrounding their circumstances, and in a strangely wide-open-yet-claustrophobic environment. The tension mounts consistently throughout the piece until it reaches a fever pitch in the final third of the play. While climate science is the topic of this piece, I found the conversations about and the exploration of moral/ethical compromise and survival in an oppressive socio-political context applicable to any number of issues. I hope this play has a long life! It's a powerful and necessary warning.

    read more
    ”
  • Charles Haugland: Last Catastrophist by David Valdes
    “

    David Valdes Greenwood has written a crackling play that sits between today's headlines and tomorrow's worst fears. We did a workshop of this play at the Huntington Theatre Company, and the audience was pulled in by its humor, its escalating suspense, and its insight into the current contours of the interaction between science, industry, and government. I recommend reading it -- and producing it!

    David Valdes Greenwood has written a crackling play that sits between today's headlines and tomorrow's worst fears. We did a workshop of this play at the Huntington Theatre Company, and the audience was pulled in by its humor, its escalating suspense, and its insight into the current contours of the interaction between science, industry, and government. I recommend reading it -- and producing it!

    ”

Character Information

MARINA, 30s or very early 40s, American of Cuban descent, a climate scientist with a low tolerance for other people’s emotions

LUCIA, same age, also a climate scientist, prone to big emotions, African-American

  • Marina
    American of Cuban descent, a climate scientist with a low tolerance for other people’s emotions

    MARINA is an American, born and raised here. Cubans were racially diverse before the revolution, and that is only more true of the Cuban-Americans who have grown up here in the US in the 60 years since. Marina’s heritage is Latinx but she may be White, Black, or mixed-race, all groups heavily represented in the Cuban community.
    30s-40s
    Latinx or mixed-Latinx
    woman,
    Female-identifying
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Lucia
    LUCIA, a climate scientist, selling the sunshine, African-American.

    LUCIA may be played by a woman of color who is not African-American. The actor’s specific ethnic background will inform the experiences Lucia has had and, in turn, shift the line readings. The experiences of different ethnic groups are not interchangeable; where they would meet in this role would is in being a non-White researcher in academia in a conservative area.
    30s-40s
    African-American
    Female,
    Female-identifying
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Reading, Transformation Theatre DC, 2019
  • Reading, B Street Theatre, 2018
  • Reading, The Bechdel Group, 2017
  • Workshop, Huntington Theatre Company, 2017

Awards

  • Burman Award
    Barrington Stage Company
    Semi-Finalist
    2019