Letter From the Ocean

Program Note

Caridad Svich was inspired by the concept of Ecoacoustics in writing this scene. Ecoacoustics is a field dedicated to the scientific study of sound in biological processes, as researchers working in bioacoustics have found that the acoustics occurring during different natural processes are essential to the organisms participating in those processes. With an added understanding of human acoustics, ecoacoustics is born, allowing for a new approach to studying sound in both ecological and human systems.

“The Earth emits geological, biological, and human sounds within the biosphere, creating a sonic context that characterizes ecosystems at different spatial and temporal scales and has consequences that can affect many ecological processes”


“We believe that the examples of these aspects of ecoacoustics will provide an incentive for others interested in ecological sounds, including those in the sciences and the arts, to pursue their research, applying sound to solve ecological problems and to educate the next generation about the importance of ecological sounds to the survivorship of the human race.”

Farina, A., & Gage, S. H. (2017). Ecoacoustics: The ecological role of sounds. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley.
Soundscape and original music for “Letter to the Ocean,” composed and designed by Kevin Woeste, advised by Jason SebastianDownload

Questions for discussion:

  1. What is the ‘hut’ to you? How do you visit? How do you bring back pieces of the hut into your ‘city’ life?
  2. How do you think you can contribute to “make our own songs last?” 
  3. Tune into your rage: where it is directed? Where is the rage coming from? What might the perspective be of the person/people/object/situation that you are so angry with?
  4. What does the ocean mean to you?
  5. How do you respond when someone tells you they love you, but you know you’ve hurt them?

About the Playwright: Caridad Svich

Caridad Svich is a Latinx playwright who has written many plays, often exploring themes of love, gender, and politics. Earlier this year, Svich’s show Theatre: A Love Story was performed at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, exploring theatre activism itself. In Letter to the Ocean (2017), she explores two of her other common themes: capitalism and climate change.

She has won many awards, including an OBIE  for lifetime achievement award, and is known for being a theatrical translator as well as being an editor for many works. She has had her shows performed all over the country and in the UK.

Cast

The Hut Dewllers:
Cody Luketic*
Mallory Miller
Anna Page
Sarah Semon
Joseph Sheridan*
Emily Stowers*

The Ocean:
Bethany Brown
Sydney Cain
Katelyn Nevin
Tammy Sanow

Artistic Team

  • Ann Elizabeth Armstrong – Director
  • Gion DeFrancesco- Scene Designer
  • Ashley Goos – Choreographer
  • Emma Foreman – Cello
  • Maura Kesterson – Stage Manager
  • Meggan Peters – Costume Designer
  • Lilith Rose – Dramaturg
  • Brad Schmitz – Projection Designer
  • Emily Stowers – Assistant Choreographer
  • Kevin Woeste – Composer and Sound Designer
  • Jenna Wrona – Lighting Designer

Special Thanks

Annie Dell’aria and the Department of Art,
Ben Nicholson and the Department of Emerging Technologies in Business and Design, Ricardo Averbach and Emma Foreman (Department of Music)