AN ECO-FABLE: SOONER THAN YOU THINK (full length) by Robin Rice

An ecological fable for young people. Homeland is quickly becoming inhospital to life. Wolves, caribou, moose and other native animals have left for cooler lands. Plants are dying off. The sky is streaked with a poisonous vapor. Fish are dying. The glacier is melting. A wolf (who misses her family), a rabbit (who yearns for a mate), and a crow (who can't find anything non-toxic to eat) attempt to reverse...
An ecological fable for young people. Homeland is quickly becoming inhospital to life. Wolves, caribou, moose and other native animals have left for cooler lands. Plants are dying off. The sky is streaked with a poisonous vapor. Fish are dying. The glacier is melting. A wolf (who misses her family), a rabbit (who yearns for a mate), and a crow (who can't find anything non-toxic to eat) attempt to reverse climate change. Laughs, tears, and ultimately hope. (See also the audiodrama version - same title - somewhat longer.)
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AN ECO-FABLE: SOONER THAN YOU THINK (full length)

Recommended by

  • Claudia Haas:
    5 Mar. 2023
    “ Every culture has tales of the beginnings of time - of how the natural wold came to be. Rice has given us a vision of the end of times - with a view from the wonders we share our world with. It’s a tough and realistic assessment. Framed with gorgeous visuals, love of the natural world, and an all-knowing cast of characters, Rice dishes up hope side-by-side with a caveat - it’s almost too late but not too late. Appropriate for families, and ripe for discussions. When will it be too late? ”
  • Alan Brooks:
    28 Dec. 2022
    “ This play would be great for a troupe like Bread & Puppets, or Arm Of The Sea - it's nature-based and the elements of the theme are anthropomorphized in ways that remind me of B&P's "The Apocalypse Defiance Circus". ”
  • Emma Goldman-Sherman:
    15 Sep. 2019
    “ Thrilled to be able to recommend this climate change fable that was developed at the WriteNow Workshop where I had the privilege to see the wolf, rabbit and crow come to life. I love the crow's costume. Rice is a very visual thinker and her images - whether written in the beautiful monologues or mentioned in stage directions - are fantastic! ”
View all 5 recommendations

Character Information

Clem - Bud + flower on clematis vine. 16-25 (human years). Male + female. Can't live with climate change.
Mother - Female wolf. Not old; not young. Soft-hearted. Determined. Wants her family.
Randy - Male jackrabbit. 13-16 (human years). Naive. Playful. Poetic. Wants a mate like crazy.
Solo - Female crow. 40+ (human years). Proud. Brainy. Sarcastic. Starving. Wounded heart.
Blue Ice - A glacier. Ancient. Melting - and very angry about it.

  • Blue Ice - An ancient glacier. Melting (dying).
    40-100
    Blue Ice - An ancient glacier. Melting. Very angry.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Mother Wolf
    25-35 in human years,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    A real wolf. Soft-hearted. Motherly. Desperately wants her family.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Clem
    16-20 in human years,
    Any
    ,
    Both male and female.
    Clem is a bud and then a flower on a clematis vine. Both male and female. In touch with other (dying) plants through their intertwined root systems.

    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Randy
    13-16 in human years,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    A teenage rabbit. Naive. Vulnerable. Often speaks in rhyme. Badly wants a mate.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Solo
    40+,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    A female crow. 40+ in human years. Brainy. Self-centered. Starving to death.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    The Parsnip Ship
    ,
    2022
  • Reading
    ,
    29th Street Playwrights Collective at the Dramatists Guild Foundation, NYC
    ,
    2019

Awards

Selection
,
Workshop
,
The Parsnip Ship
,
2022