←Recommendations of Two of Every Animal

This play absolutely gutted me. I'm kind of Kim right now, myself, but not with a polar bear, of course. Still, without the strong personal connection to this story, everyone should be gutted by this play because it can and very likely will happen. And it's not fair. And it's absolutely beautiful and heart breaking to watch Kim and Leta sit vigil and witness the beginning of the end. Not just for science. But for humanity. Just beautiful.

This short Zoom play is powerful. It deals with climate change, loss, and bearing witness, and serves as a warning as to where we are all headed if we don't change our ways. Human beings have gotten used to using things and throwing them away, and Aly Kantor takes this trait to a heightened (but plausible) place, with humanity discarding Earth and taking to space in search of a new home. Kim and Leta stay behind, preserving and honoring what is being lost. If we all loved like they do, the planet would be in much better shape.

Kim's obsession with things getting done is one that rang relevant with me from the very beginning. At first I was lured into this being a humorous anecdote of Kim's obsession but the more I read of the beautiful poetic language the writer has loaded this piece with, the more I realised how tragically sad it is. I finished this play with the full spectrum of emotions leaping around inside me and I think it would be the same for any audience, that's what makes this play great for me.

For a short play to tackle such a large and intimidating subject must have been daunting, but Aly Kantor not only hits it out of the park with this one, she does it with grace and dignity. I was spellbound by this piece. Aly Kantor is a wonderful writer and you should take a look at her work. I would love to see this staged. It's a message piece with more heart and soul than you'd expect. And I expected a lot.

If ever there was a message, a lesson to learn, this play is it. Aly takes us to what may be a future not as far ahead as we think, a future where humanity gives up on Earth itself. But politics aside, this is a touching play about two young scientists, two young friends who remain with each other, even though miles separate them, to the inevitable end, in their joint determination to preserve other species. This is a beautifully told story of a future we can only hope will never happen.