This transcript is being provided for access purposes only. Please don’t download, copy or distribute this transcript. Copyright of the play’s text belongs to the playwright. The playwright asserts their moral rights.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER SMALL TALK:
EPISODE SIX: ROLLING HILLS, GREEN PASTURES BY CARMEN AGUIRRE
SUNNY DRAKE: You’re listening to Climate Change & Other Small Talk. A worldwide theatrical journey for your ears - minus the carbon footprint and lost luggage. Nine creative teams from around the world share entertaining audio dramas to explore our climate mess. And what could get us out.
Welcome to Episode Six! I’m Sunny Drake, your tour guide, and series creator. You heard on our previous stop how quickly things can slide to pretty bad places. There’s such a need to scale up the level of our actions – I hope you’ve been checking out the “take action” page on our website Climate Change And Other Small Talk dot com– that’s climate change A-N-D other small talk dot com. You would have noticed that we’ve been focusing on actions which feed into larger systemic change, rather than isolated individual actions.
So, in line with that principle, what about our largest institutions lowering their carbon footprints?
In our next destination,
[HOT AIR BALLOON TAKING OFF]
SUNNY DRAKE: We’ll see if that alone would change things, with Carmen Aguirre’s play, “Rolling Hills, Green Pastures”, made by Electric Theatre Company. Carmen is one of Canada’s most prominent Latinx theatre artists. I’ve had the total joy of knowing her for a number of years and I really respect her guts in telling it like it is.
Carmen lives in Vancouver, but we’re actually getting straight back into our balloon to travel to a drone warehouse in the US, because in Carmen’s play, the US has bought out Canada’s military. Let’s see what happens when the US military, one of the world’s largest institutional polluters, decides to join the Green Military Movement.
Strap in because we’re going to be dealing with military violence in this episode. So, you might want to take care, deciding when and where to listen.
This is Rolling Hills, Green Pastures by Carmen Aguirre.
[BUTTONS BEING PRESSED ON A MACHINE. WOOSHING DRONE POWERING UP AND RISING INTO THE AIR. A CROWD CAN BE HEARD BELOW. THE DRONE SOARS UP.]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Welcome to the United States Armed Forces. What a journey to get here!
[CROWD CHEERS AND CLAPS]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Some of you recruited all the way from Vancouver at the video game convention! Not really a surprise since the U.S. Armed Forces acquired the Canadian Army! Woo-hoo!
[CROWD CHEERS AND CLAPS]
ESPERANZA SOTO: My name is Esperanza Soto, I use she/her/ella pronouns, and I am your orientation facilitator. All genders, sexual orientations, races, and abilities are welcome here. Happy Pride month!
[CROWD CHEERS AND CLAPS]
ESPERANZA SOTO: The Armed Forces are a safe space with zero tolerance for bullying or harassment. We aim to create a work environment where everyone is inspired to be themselves. Your hair can be any length, style, or colour, and we celebrate piercings and tattoos.
[TENTATIVE CLAPPING]
ESPERANZA SOTO: EDM is my go-to music. I’m gonna play some EDM so we can dance for a bit.
[EDM MUSIC PLAYS. THE DRONE WOOSHS OVERHEAD.]
ESPERANZA SOTO: That’s it. Good! So much fun, right? You got it! Everybody! Up! Dance! Woo! I urge you all to take regular dance breaks. And we have complimentary snack stations at the end of every line of cubicles! Woo! Just be sure to pay attention to the recycling and compost bins so that you’re disposing of things responsibly.
[MUSIC STOPS.]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Don’t we all feel alive now?
[CROWD LAUGHS]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Yeah! Good to get the breath going and the blood flowing!
[CLAPPING. DRONE BUZZING IN THE BACKGROUND.]
ESPERANZA SOTO: A little about me. I’m a first-generation proud Latine brought to this country by my parents, who sacrificed everything in order to give me a better life. They were farmworkers who did back-breaking work, breathing in toxic pesticides that not only damaged their bodies, but the land itself and the food we ate.
When I took Environmental Studies in college, I learned that the United States Armed Forces emits greenhouse gases equivalent to 140 nations.
I also learned that we were not only doing something about that, we were paving the way. We are now at the forefront of the GMM, Green Military Movement. Super important and super personal to some of us, like one of our Vancouver recruits who is a climate refugee. Maybe they can tell you about how they got asthma because their city is clogged with smoke for four months of the year because of the forest fires and flooded the other eight because of the non-stop torrential downpours. Anyway. The Green Military Movement!!! Yeah!!!
Obama introduced drones because they are friendlier to the environment than F16s.
[DRONE BUZZING GETS LOUDER]
ESPERANZA SOTO: I had always understood that drones were more humane. Because we weren’t putting one of our soldiers in a plane to be shot down, and of course we can target the enemy with much more precision - no collateral damage. But I hadn’t stopped to think about environmental sustainability. Wars are being fought over the effects of the climate crisis: rising sea levels, droughts, fires, dry land corridors – like the one in Central America - that no longer produce food. This leads to mass migration. To our borders being overrun by desperate people who will do anything to enter our country. We are prepared. But without contributing to the root cause of the migration. So, it makes perfect sense that when we send tanks to our border, we take advantage of the sun pounding down on the desert and power them with solar panels, not carbon-emitting fossil fuels. All our jeeps are now electric.
[DRONE SWOOPS UP]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Just one more example of how we are on the cutting edge of sustainable war practices. Our drone center is run entirely on wind energy.
[CLAPPING]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Let’s take a little tour of it. It’s in the warehouse, and you will each get your own cubicle. When we take our tour, let’s be respectful of the drone operators who are immersed in their work.
[CROWD MOVING. DOOR CODE. HEAVY DOOR OPENS.]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Welcome to your dream job! You basically get paid to do what you do best: play video games. Operating a drone is like a real-life video game. Except you’re serving your country and taking care of the planet at the same time.
[COMPUTER GAME NOISES]
ESPERANZA SOTO: I can see there’s a conversation going on between the floor managers and drone operators number twenty-five and forty-three. So we’ll stay here until that’s done. As you know, all conversations that happen in the drone centre are protected under privacy laws. No eavesdropping in the armed forces. Ha ha!
FLOOR MANAGER: We are trauma-informed.
DRONE OPERATOR: I know-
FLOOR MANAGER: Not trauma-CENTRED.
DRONE OPERATOR: I didn’t mean for my hand to start shaking.
FLOOR MANAGER: I understand triggers.
DRONE OPERATOR: I think they’re kids.
FLOOR MANAGER: Tobacco smoke for example.
DRONE OPERATOR: I just need a moment.
FLOOR MANAGER: I’m aware that you have complex PTSD and it’s good that I know that so can be sensitive to your needs, but imagine if I had to centre all y’all’s traumas. We have to center the WORK.
DRONE OPERATOR: I think they’re kids.
FLOOR MANAGER: Let’s see. Hmmm. They might be of age.
DRONE OPERATOR: I don’t think so.
FLOOR MANAGER: I mean they look like scrawny young adults.
DRONE OPERATOR: Okay, who do we ask about this?
FLOOR MANAGER: Ashley’s helping Juan. His drone just hit the wrong target. Boom! Supermarket up in smoke - classified. You’ve been tracking these guys for days and NOW you’re worried about their age? The orders are clear: these are human smugglers. With guns tucked into the backs of their jeans. Which they will use against our armed forces.
DRONE OPERATOR: Um. Okay.
FLOOR MANAGER: I mean if the fact they’re leading twenty people directly to our border ain’t a dead giveaway-
DRONE OPERATOR: Okay. Um. So, I target them because they’re helping Central American climate refugees–
FLOOR MANAGER: You target them because they’re human smugglers-
DRONE OPERATOR: Right right. Even if they’re kids.
FLOOR MANAGER: Nothing about age appropriateness of the target.
DRONE OPERATOR: I need a moment.
FLOOR MANAGER: We don’t have a moment. They’ve seen you.
DRONE OPERATOR: Oh my God. I may be having a panic attack.
FLOOR MANAGER: Inhale, push your thumb down on the button, exhale, then have your panic attack.
[SOUND OF BOMB DROPPING ON SCREAMING PEOPLE.]
DRONE OPERATOR: Okay. Done.
FLOOR MANAGER: Good. Take a deep breath.
[VIDEO GAME SOUNDS]
DRONE OPERATOR: I can’t look at the screen right now. I only hit the smugglers, right?
[VIDEO GAME SOUNDS]
FLOOR MANAGER: Correct. Your aim is superlative. I’m always in awe of it. No collateral
damage. And the families are running away. They won’t be trying that again. At least not anytime soon. Keep breathing. Ground yourself. There’s red bull and tension tamer in the snack section. And don’t forget today is pizza Friday.
DRONE OPERATOR: Is it okay if I take a little dance break?
FLOOR MANAGER: Absolutely. For a sec there I thought you were gonna say smoke break!
Whew! You do you. This ain’t a sweat shop. People first. In fact, take a full fifteen.
DRONE OPERATOR: Thanks.
[EDM MUSIC PLAYS. DRONE OPERATOR DANCES AND HUMS.]
DRONE OPERATOR: I’m just gonna go to the parking lot.
[EDM MUSIC PLAYS. FOOTSTEPS THROUGH A HALLWAY. DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS.
PHONE DIALING. MUSIC STOPS.]
DRONE OPERATOR [ON PHONE]: Sorry to call without texting first.
FRIEND: Sup?
DRONE OPERATOR: I may have just killed some kids.
FRIEND: Like little kids?
DRONE OPERATOR: Like teens.
FRIEND: In. Tense.
DRONE OPERATOR: Yeah.
FRIEND: Like at the U.S./Mexico border?
DRONE OPERATOR: I can’t say. I just broke all the rules by telling you.
FRIEND: I know.
DRONE OPERATOR: But maybe they weren’t kids.
FRIEND: Hey, listen. All jobs have their pros and cons, right? And the job of keeping our neck of the woods safe isn’t for everyone.
DRONE OPERATOR: You mean ANYone.
FRIEND: At least you get your dance breaks and shit, dude. I just did twelve hours cleaning a house where there was like literal human shit on the wall. Plus we’re like on month ten of rain here. Richmond is now like fully under water.
DRONE OPERATOR: Gotta go back.
FRIEND: You’re cleansing the world of douchebags. Think about how Latin men treat their
women, dude. Or like how they’re drug dealers. Plus, their countries are in climate crisis ‘cause they don’t know how to govern themselves. They don’t even know how to recycle. Have you seen how dirty their cities are?
DRONE OPERATOR: Stop being so fucking racist.
FRIEND: I’m just stating facts. They probably weren’t kids.
DRONE OPERATOR: Okay.
[A DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING. FOOTSTEPS. DRONE OPERATOR HANGS UP.]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Hi! Everything okay?
DRONE OPERATOR: Oh, yeah, I was just going back in.
ESPERANZA SOTO: I’m doing orientation for the newbies. Just wanted to make sure we’re
putting on our best face for them.
DRONE OPERATOR: Totally.
ESPERANZA SOTO: Need a hug?
DRONE OPERATOR: Uh, no-
ESPERANZA SOTO: We’re all like family here.
DRONE OPERATOR: I’m good, thanks.
ESPERANZA SOTO: Let’s walk back in together. I had a thought: how do you feel about telling them a little bit about yourself? You know, how you’re an accomplished gamer and you never thought you’d be able to get a real job because of your mental health issues and now here you are! All the way from the suburbs of Vancouver! Sorry, unceded Musqueam territory.
DRONE OPERATOR: Sounds good.
[FOOTSTEPS]
ESPERANZA SOTO: Who were you talking to just now?
DRONE OPERATOR: Oh, just a friend.
ESPERANZA SOTO: Hopefully not a union organizer! Ha ha!
DRONE OPERATOR: Oh, God no!
ESPERANZA SOTO: We treat you well, right?
DRONE OPERATOR: Oh, yeah.
ESPERANZA SOTO: After you.
[OPENS THE DOOR. DRONE SOUNDS SWELL OVERHEAD. THE DOOR CLICKS SHUT.
CICADAS AND A PASSING PLANE.]
SUNNY DRAKE: That was episode 6 of Climate Change & Other Small Talk, “Rolling Hills, Green Pastures”. Written by and directed by Carmen Aguirre. Oof, there was a lot to unpack there - for a deep dive into the climate themes and a behind-the-scenes with our creative teams, subscribe to our newsletter at climate change and other small talk dot com. And check out the Take Action section on our website, along with the episode page for more resources on this topic, including where to find support.
You can bring your friends and family on this journey too by hosting a listening party. We’ve got various how-to guides on our website. And follow us on facebook: Sunny Drake Productions and on instagram: sunny underscore drake. Sunny is spelt like the day: s-U-n-n-y.
If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate us with five stars. It helps other people find it.
In our next episode, we’re heading to an island nation: Mauritius, where a Toad, Tortoise, Peahen and an Ant stand-off when a clean energy project is not as simple as it sounds.
PEAHEN: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our event. This is a happy occasion…
Tortoise: As the representative of our group, let me tell you that happiness is very far from our minds Ma’am. Because of the supposedly innovative ‘Green Energy Storage’ project, trees are being cut down. Our trees, our lifelines gone.
SUNNY DRAKE: Join us to find out what happens.
Today’s episode, “Rolling Hills, Green Pastures”, starred:
Montserrat Videla Samper as Esperanza Soto,
Lili Robinson as The Drone Operator
and Charlie Demers as The Floor Supervisor and Friend.
Sound design and music by Joelysa Pankanea
Episode Produced by Electric Company Theatre with support from Sunny Drake Productions
Episode Producers Carla Ritchie and Natalie LeFebvre Gnam
Episode Production Manager Carla Ritchie
Audio mixing by Heather Brown & Richard Feren
Recording engineer Monarch Studios
Special thanks to BC Arts Council, City of Vancouver Cultural Services, Canada Council for the Arts, Monarch Studios, Progress Lab, UBCP and ACTRA.
And the series Climate Change & Other Small Talk is:
Created by me, Sunny Drake
Produced by Sunny Drake Productions in association with Why Not Theatre
Lead Producers: Fanny Martin and Najla Nubyanluv
Concept Dramaturg: Kevin Matthew Wong
Impact Producer & Climate Dramaturg: Chaprece Henry
Communications Producer: Daniela Gerstmann
Central Audio Producers: Heather Brown & Richard Feren
Special thanks to our series funding bodies: Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council. And to so many others who you can check out on the website. It truly does take a village to raise a podcast.
Electric Company Theatre acknowledge the unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people. As artists who live, work and create on these lands, Electric Company strives to be allies with, to learn from and to acknowledge the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
We’ll see you all again soon for our next episode, and even sooner at our website and newsletter, climate change and other small talk dot com. Take care everyone.