When planning out the Theatre School season, program director Ben Cole thoughtfully selects one play that explores and addresses any number of social issues present in our local communities, allowing our students to explore these difficult issues in safe spaces and empowering them to tackle them in their communities. Past productions have explored themes relating to mental health, female empowerment, environmentalism, grief, bullying, disabilities, coming-of-age, and LGBTQIA+ identity.
To formalize and grow this unique Theatre School initiative, we are thrilled to announce the creation of the ProtoStar Social Issues Series. With the generous support of the ProtoStar Group, this exciting partnership will allow us to broaden the reach of this annual production, strengthen its holistic educational impact, and expand the educational resources we can provide to our Theatre School community.
Special Elements of the ProtoStar Social Issues Series
Student Matinees
- Subsidized Student Transportation
- Subsidized Student Tickets
Educational Resources/Opportunities
- Cast zoom discussion with playwright Briandaniel Oglesby
- Play study guide created in collaboration with playwright Briandaniel Oglesby
- Post-performance talk-backs with actors and local community organizations
- Dramaturgical materials in the show’s program
For the inaugural production of the ProtoStar Social Issues Series, we will be presenting The Apocalypse Project by Briandaniel Oglesby, performing May 22-25, 2025.
It’s 2024. Four years ago, everyone over the age of 20 disappeared from the planet. No one knows why. Then it happened again.
On the Altierra compound in Texas, young T dreams of the internet returning so she can be a YouTuber and document her generation. When a crisis expels a group, she joins the exiles on a trek across the broken land. This group faces constant danger as they search for safe-harbor – and possibly the answer to the question of what happened — at the rumored New Eden. This is a play about what happens when the young are left to deal with the disasters in a world they didn’t create.
Along the way, the crew experience a strange and yet recognizable landscape. They encounter an authoritarian farm, anarchist Firestarters, feral children, Sad Disneyland, and ruined hometowns.
There are moments of intensity and plenty of humor in this play that’s about climate change, social change, coming-of-age, immigration, and the current moment.
Past plays that would’ve been included in our Social Issues Series:
If you’d like to learn more about how you can support programs like this one, please contact Kristen Van Hoesen at (858) 481-2155 x220 or kristen@northcoastrep.org
To learn more about the work of the ProtoStar Group, please visit https://protostargroup.com/
