Transition Kamloops’ Board member George M. Johnson’s upcoming award-winning play, Boomerangst may be the first eco-comedy written for Kamloops and its environment, recognizing that an environment has rights. While there are numerous excellent documentaries on the climate crisis, and several feature thrillers treating corporate cover-ups of environmental disasters, such as Dark Waters, there is nothing about ordinary people—and seniors at that!—trying to live in harmony with nature and protect their paradise from threats with thought-provoking, and yet funny consequences.
The communards face extreme weather situations, such as a flash flood. Most significantly, Boomerangst draws on real-life resistance to the potential eco-disaster that a mining company presented with its proposal of a huge open-pit mine just south of Kamloops. The issue divided Kamloopsians, since some welcomed the potential boost to the economy.
The play grapples with the universal bind we find ourselves in. No one wants a mine, a pipeline, or a dam impinging on them, and yet we continue to demand their energy and/or products. Boomerangst also recognizes that people are at differing levels of awareness of this crisis. How do we get the opposing sides to listen to one another and cooperate on an issue that is humanitarian and earth-wide but has been politicized? Johnson believes in the power of story to create empathy, and that “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people,” as Victor Borge said. Boomerangst isn’t just for boomers, since most people want the chance to live out their ideals, and it tackles critical environmental issues faced by us all. It’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s inspiring! What’s not to like?
Johnson has recently released “Climate Crisis,” one of the show songs, on Spotify and the other platforms, and the video can be watched here.
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The song and video were inspired by the past extreme weather events, and the video was filmed in Deadman’s Valley, devastated by wildfire in 2021.
Boomerangst is on June 8-17 at the Pavilion Theatre. Tickets $30.00 at Kamloops Live Box Office. For those unable to attend the theatre, there will also be livestream available June 15-17th.