SMALLER FLOODS

SYNOPSIS

Against the arid backdrop of the Dust Bowl, Abital digs in the farmland soil for a hidden lake prophesied to her in a dream—her last-ditch effort to reclaim water after growing concerns that the nearby river basin is soon to run dry. Meanwhile, her brother Gabriel charts weather patterns in hopes to predict the next rainfall. Inside their generations-old house, the children’s sheltered and skeptical mother—a frontierswoman and a barkeep—washes away the myths spun to her at the saloon as she searches for her missing acquaintance. Over one long night, at the arrival of a Western outlaw, the children are forced to reckon with the deadly potential of the dust that their mother has kept hidden from them, as they decide whether to leave their land or if they’re too indebted, owing too much to ever leave.

A play about the American frontier myth and what it means to be forgotten by history.

Read this play on New Play Exchange

PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Smaller Floods received its workshop premiere the National Theater Institute (Eugene O'Neill Theater Center) on July 9, 2018.

The production was directed by Abbey Burgess. The creative team was as follows:

Antoinette Ramsey as Abital
Tameka Bennett as Suranne
Isaac Lunt as Gabriel
Talia Frank-Stempel as Lise
Nathan Sorscher as The Harbinger

Sound Design by Owen Meadows
Puppetry Design by Nathan Sorscher

Smaller Floods also received developmental support via an independent workshop with Ludmila de Brito (NTI TM ‘18), as well as a course with Jessica Huang.

Smaller Floods was produced at Susquehanna University in April 2022. The production was directed by Bruce Gomez. The creative team was as follows:

Morgan Magdalinski as Abital
Alexis Jefferson as Suranne
Joseph Peachey as Gabriel
Logan Andres as Lise

Scenic Design by Jacob Bubeck
Costume Design by Anna Moran
Lighting Design by Aaron Kurland
Sound Design by Ethan Hommel
Dramaturgy by Diana Arroyo & Ethan Hommel

Photography by Caleb Stroman

NOTES ON THE DUST BOWL

From Susquehanna University, April 2022

Evan Peterson’s Smaller Floods uses our past to show us our future. As you’ll read in the Dramaturg’s note, the dust bowl was a disaster of our own making, driven by an innate hunger for profit and exacerbated by a failure to heed the warnings of scientists. Much like the climate crisis we currently find ourselves in today, the family we see in this play is in this situation thanks, in great part, to ignorance. Worsening the situation is that fact that each character possesses their own set of values and desires, which pull them all in opposite directions. Smaller Floods also challenges us to question our upbringing and the deeply held beliefs that come with it. This challenge comes in the form of Suranne, a mysterious outlaw who arrives with the news of the dust storm; news that shakes Lise’s faith, strengthens Gabriel’s desire to make a new life for himself, and forces Abital to choose between what she owes to her heritage, and what she owes herself. Using only a short period of time, Smaller Floods gives us a look into the impact an ecological disaster can have on a family.

Bruce Gomez, Director

What’s most gripping about this production is that it doubles as a historical piece as well as a cautionary tale as to what our future could be. The climate had a key role in the creation of the Dust Bowl and in this era of climate change, we must not turn a blind eye to the possibility of a second Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl had large effects on people’s mental and physical health. Te event claimed the lives of 7,000 people but left around 2 million homeless. Business owners were devastated and were forced to flee with their families. It was a time of hopelessness resulting in a spike in suicide rates. In our current age of climate change where we are starting to see things such as “climate anxiety,” the idea of a second Dust Bowl is difficult to digest. New factors such as the increase of greenhouse gasses and the United States extracting water from the ground faster than it can be replaced are adding to the warming of our earth. Because of these factors, heatwaves are predicted to be more intense, occur more frequently, and last longer. One study at the University of Oxford predicts that we will see heatwaves five times more often by the year 2050. The heatwaves are expected to resemble the ones seen during the Dust Bowl, creating drought, and the possibility of a second Dust Bowl. This means that we must take climate action now. We must stop ignoring this issue because it is convenient to do so. We must make the necessary changes before it’s too late.

Ethan Hommel, Dramaturg

Occurring at a time in which the nation was already facing the devastating Great Depression, the Dust Bowl of the 1930s was known for its prolific images of dust storms raging over cities. Ripple effects of economic setbacks, defective farming techniques, weather changes, federal policies, and inexperienced farmers could be pointed to when discussing what caused the Dust Bowl. Almost an entire decade of desperation, fear, and deprivation would force many out of their homes, hopelessly seeking a new opportunity for employment and better living standards. The atmosphere created through this production will have you feeling emotions ranging from dread to apprehension, and even frustration. We might not think much about the Dust Bowl at first thought other than catastrophe, but when watching Smaller Floods, keep in mind that this natural disaster remains a tragic moment in time and now inescapable as we must learn from history and push forth to tackle climate change.

Diana Arroyo, Dramaturg