Flood Sensor Aunty
Flood Sensor Aunty is a municipal comedy about a flood sensor desperate be a movie star, but is busy keeping her aunt’s chai shop afloat from rain gods clogging the bathroom pipes and culturally (in)competent permit inspectors falling in love. Halfway between really funny theater and culturally competent community disaster prevention, this show is about how the best way to protect yourself from flooding, climate change, and despair is through knowing your neighbors. Developed in deep partnership with NYC Emergency Management and trillions of community partners, thousands of audience members in public spaces like chai shops and boats and parks across all five boroughs leave nourished with bellies full of chai, tools for flood protection, and calls to action from community leaders. Check out robust coverage on Grist, Spectrum NY1, the CITY (!!!), theQueens Knight, Streetbeat, SI Live, WaterWire, and more.
This third installation featured six performances at new public spaces across NYC and Massachusetts - supported by existing and new partners like the NYC Health Department, the Waterfront Alliance, Chhaya CDC, NYC EDC, APICHA Edgemere Farm Works, the Boston Office of Emergency Management, the Boston Office of Climate Resiliency, the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection, Rockaway Revolution, WE-ACT for Environmental Justice, Wellesley Repertory Theater, Fordham University, the Queens Memory Project, and more.
📍 Edgemere Farm, Elmhurst Public Library, South Street Seaport Museum, Fordham University, Dewberry Climate Conference, & Wellesley Repertory Theater
Talkback hosts: Jill Cornell (NYC Emergency Management)
Haydr Dutta & Eugene SG Massey (NYC Health Department)
Katie Walls & Marva Kerwin (Rockaway Revolution)
Jordana Vanderselt Gianna Folz (WE-ACT for Environmental Justice)
Cathreine McCandless (Boston Office of Climate Resiliency)
Ky’Ron Owens (Boston Office of Emergency Management)
Mahrin Afsara (Chhaya CDC)
Kenji Jones (APICHA)
Furhana Husani (Waterfront Alliance)
Lani Asuncion (Pao Arts)
Jake Meakem (Harbor Arts Now)
Marybeth Martorello (Town of Wellesley Office of Sustainability)
Written and directed: by yours truly
Performers: Fahad Ahmad, Ray Jordan Achan, Kshithij Hegde, Isa Nicdao, and Alex Scelso
Community organizers: Jess Balgobin, Jill Cornell, & Maggie Poost
Flood Fellows: Kunchok Norbu and Talia Rodriguez
Musician: Tom Lee
Documentation: Jesse Herndon and Max Czerski
Sound engineer: Maxi Glenn
Ensemble: Paige Befeler
Tea: Miles Kirsch and the Tea Stand
Costume design: Moses Aina and Kshithij Hegde
Graphic design and illustration: Abbie Preston
