“The Planet Earth Farewell Concert” Takes Center Stage at the Hollywood Fringe Festival

I recently caught up with Jonas Oppenheim who has a new play “The Planet Earth Farewell Concert” currently showing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. We spoke to him about the messaging behind the play and his passion for saving the planet. Here is what he had to share:

Hi Jonas, it’s great to meet you. Let’s talk about the new stage show you have coming out in the Summer “The Planet Earth Farewell Concert”. How did this come about?

I was worrying about our poor planet, the unfolding climate emergency, and all the people who are suffering, or are going to suffer, as its effects multiply. I was absorbing all the depressing stats and bleak headlines (or lack thereof) and feeling that as humans we aren’t paying enough attention. I started researching the crisis and learned that in addition to everything dire about the planet, there was a steady trickle of good news, and that common-sense solutions were out there. So why was this crucial issue getting lost in the shuffle?

I thought about what was missing in the messaging. If facts and degrees and reports of faraway refugees were too abstract, what would hit home? In what areas were we already trained in processing grief and taking collective action?

How about the death of a beloved celebrity? When we lose someone famous, my bubble floods with public displays of grief. We parse the meaning of that person’s impact in the world. We let it affect us on a visceral level. We re-watch their movie, or donate to their cause, or wear a shirt with their face on it. We expend a little energy.

Then I thought about those crazy, lavish farewell concerts thrown by the likes of your Cher, your Elton John, your Liberace. And I thought that would be a cool way in. It’s Earth’s last concert! Fun! Then, even better — I’d have to write a bunch of new songs! Now we’ve got a show that is big fun — light on statistics, and heavy on silliness, songs, and surprises. The show includes cabaret, variety, and agitprop to help the audience process some big climate-related emotions and turn those feelings into action.

What was the idea and process behind this?

I was trying to find more effective, visceral ways to get under an audience’s skin and spur them to action. I write comedy, so I knew that would be my approach here. I can address all the terrible, frightening aspects of our situation without it being a total downer, and therefore my audiences will (hopefully) stay open to the rest of what I’m trying to say. So, when Planet Earth comes out, barely able to walk or finish a sentence without a coughing fit, and sings about how she’s still tickin’, you can laugh at the silliness even as you’re acknowledging the truth that her situation is dire. Ideally that gets you loose enough to then do things like agree to stand up and share a favorite memory of Planet Earth (we ask everyone to bring a memento, photo, song, etc. that reminds them of Planet Earth).

What other background to you have in the field of plays? Is this your first production of this kind?

I wrote my first play when I was 17, but its opening was canceled when the Northridge earthquake shook asbestos loose on my high school’s stage. I’ve been writing plays, and other stuff, ever since. I have previously experimented with this sort of political, interactive model with shows like Free $$$, a fake self-help seminar; Mr. Satan Goes to Wall Street, an Occupy Wall Street musical that we performed outside both presidential conventions in 2012; and “I’m Gonna Kill the President!” A Federal Offense, a guerrilla farce about overthrowing the government. I’ve also taught playwriting, worked with at-risk youth through theater nonprofits, and was a member of Sacred Fools Theater Company for many years.

What are the most important messages you feel that the play portrays?

Even though we are absolutely in a climate emergency, people who care can still fight back, seize control of the levers of power, and make the changes we so desperately need. This can happen through collective action, community-building, and effective political efforts. I’m not saying it will be easy, and the pressure is on, but we can do it.

How long did it take to plan all of this?

I’ve been writing the show for a few years. I workshopped it with Sacred Fools in February, and we started rehearsals in April. The show runs through June, as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. For tickets, dates, and the rest of the info: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10769?tab=tickets

What do you hope to see happen from this play in the future?

I’d love to do this as a star-studded live comedy special, streaming on some fancy platform. I’m not sure that enough people will see it at the Hollywood Fringe Festival to achieve the critical mass we need.

What other projects do you have coming up?

I am shopping a feature called Billionaires in Space — exactly what it sounds like — and my next play will be about policing and copaganda.

What is your message to people about why they should check this play out?

It’s the most fun you can have contemplating the end of our planet!