Rising sea levels are displacing millions of people around the world due to climate change. Why Not Theatre assembles a team of international artists in the world premiere of Gimme Shelter to ask: What can one person do? Inspired by the ancient text of the Indian epic The Mahabharata, Gimme Shelter questions individual responsibility to action when facing problems that seem too big to solve.
Gimme Shelter
by Ravi JainThis project is part of Why Not’s MAKE stream of activities. MAKE projects are created and produced by us, often touring across the country and the world.
July 13th -18th, 2015 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts
Written and performed by Ravi Jain
Developed and Directed by Jenny Koons
Original Music by Gurpreet Chana
Set & Costume Design by Ken MacKenzie
Video Design by David Leclerc
Associate Lighting Design by C.J. Astronomo
Sound Design by Nicholas Murray
Stage Management by Heather Thompson
Production Management and Technical Direction by Kelly Read
Produced by Owais Lightwala
Gimme Shelter was commissioned by the TORONTO 2015 PAN AM/PARA PAN GAMES arts and culture festival, PANAMANIA presented by CIBC, and developed with the support of Soulpepper Theatre Company, the Playwrights Workshop Montreal, and The Toronto Arts Council.
Special thanks to Andrew Shaver, Viktor Lukawski and Miriam Fernandes for additional writing and dramaturgical support, and Debashis Sinha for sound design during preliminary workshops.
"provocative, thoughtful and intriguing"
–Lynn Slotkin
"This visually compelling work of theatre shows us that more so than ever before, the actions taken by one country, one city or even one individual are able to have a real and immediate impact on people living half a world away."