It Is Our Fault: Theatre on the Climate Catastrophe in Egypt

Jillian Campana*

Abstract

This article explores the development and performance of Da Zanbokom (It Is Your Fault), an ecotheatre production in Egypt designed to educate audiences about the ways in which environmental problems affect specific regions within the country. Comprising a series of ten-minute plays, each set in a different part of the country, the production serves as a call to acknowledge human responsibility for climate change. Performed outdoors at multiple locations, Da Zanbokom debuted live at the American University in Cairo in early 2025 and was later video recorded for educational use in schools.

Keywords: Egypt, ecotheatre, climate education, site-specific performance, climate change activism

Introduction

Egypt is experiencing escalating environmental crises: the country is getting hotter and hotter, the Nile is drying up, rates of lung cancer are increasing, and flash flooding is disrupting growing patterns. But human behavior is slow to change, and with almost 118 million people in the country (over 23 million in Cairo) and little educational effort to combat the climate problem (Macrotrends; Mohamed), it seems that the 50-degree Celsius temperature highs of 2024 might one day seem almost cool (Watts). In response, Da Zanbokom (It Is Our Fault), a theatrical initiative, aims to bring about public awareness and to inspire change. From water scarcity in Aswan to flooding in Alexandria, from pollution in the Red Sea to gentrification in Port Said, the short ten-minute plays that make up the larger Da Zanbokom piece ask audiences to come to grips with the scope of the problem and to acknowledge their contributions to it.

Theatre has the unique ability to transform abstract environmental issues into tangible, lived experiences through powerful narratives, striking imagery and relatable characters who offer insights into the realities of the audience’s actions and experiences. In Egypt, where ecological challenges are becoming increasingly severe, the potential of storytelling to shed light on this issue and to perhaps make some sort of a difference in human behavior is vital. With a long tradition of theatre as a tool for education and social change, the country provides a compelling setting for the creation and performance of ecotheatre.

Da Zanbokom consists of site-specific plays, each set in a different governorate of Egypt and each dealing with an environmental problem specific to that region. The larger work is composed of ten plays, written in either Arabic or English, five which were performed outdoors in the early spring of 2025 in the gardens of the New Cairo campus of the American University in Cairo (AUC).

Founded in 1919, the University has long played a pivotal role in shaping education and, more recently, advancing environmental and sustainability practices in the region. As one of the oldest liberal arts institutions in the Middle East—second only to the American University of Beirut—AUC strives to make meaningful contributions to Egypt through policymaking, civic engagement, business development, technology, and the arts and humanities, all of which have the potential to mitigate human impact on climate change. While the University maintains its historic Tahrir Square campus, built around the Kahiry Pasha Palace, major operations and degree-granting programs were relocated to New Cairo in 2008. The 260-acre New Cairo campus, with a significantly larger outdoor footprint than its built structures, was designed with environmental sensitivity in mind. Its landscape—featuring native trees such as orange, lemon, and grapefruit, along with climate-adapted plants—was curated to suit the region’s arid climate. Designed as a hospitable garden environment that offers protection against heat and sandstorms, the campus provided an ideal setting for the Da Zanbokom plays (a short video of AUC is available here).

Da Zanbokom as a Response to Egypt’s Environmental Crisis

Although Da Zanbokom wasperformed live in early 2025, the idea for it emerged in 2022, in the aftermath of the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP27) held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. At COP27, I presented a piece of Forum Theatre to highlight the power of the arts in influencing human behavior. The performance, It’s Just One Bag, was well received, exploring strategies to persuade friends, family, businesses and shopkeepers to stop relying on plastic bags. Through interactive scenarios, audience members, turned “spect-actors,” stepped in to take the place of the protagonist and test different arguments to convince the other character to abandon plastic bag use. Before, during and after COP27, Egypt experienced a temporary surge in climate awareness. However, the excitement and policy goals failed to filter down to everyday citizens.

The disconnect between human behavior and the natural and social consequences of climate change is a recurring theme in my discussions with students. Over the years, their questions and concerns have only grown. Many expressed pride in Sharm El Sheikh being selected to host COP27, yet they also observed a troubling lack of awareness within their own communities about the link between environmental degradation and human actions. In one 2023 class, on a particularly warm day, students lamented the gap between climate issues and their families’ behaviors. Yet, as the discussion unfolded, several asked to turn up the air conditioning. Others quickly pointed out this contradiction, highlighting Egypt’s heavy reliance on cooling systems that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions (Yee and Mekay). The conversation soon turned to the disproportionate use of air conditioning among the privileged upper class and its broader impact on climate change.

Beyond the classroom, discussions frequently revolve around Egypt’s water crisis—rising sea levels, desertification, and the shrinking Nile—as well as the country’s escalating pollution. Students often note how Cairo’s urban density and lack of green spaces intensify the city’s heat, making it feel even hotter than the actual temperature. When I first proposed the idea of creating plays around these issues, I hoped the subject would resonate. Their enthusiasm confirmed that it did. In our early discussions, students described climate change in Egypt as both urgent and frightening, yet admitted to feeling uninformed and frustrated by the slow pace of behavioral change.

Legal, cultural and consumer shifts in Egypt occur slowly, with changes in public behavior lagging even further behind. Then, in the summer of 2024, when Aswan recorded a staggering 50.9°C (Watts), I reached out to nine playwrights from across Egypt and invited them to write a ten-minute ecotheatre play set in a specific governorate to show how climate change was affecting the lives of people in that region. I chose to contribute a play as well.

My play, Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water takes place in Sharm, just days after COP27. Tourists Millie and Malcolm travel to Sharm eager to escape the realities of the world and bask in the glory of a five-star hotel, only to discover, to their confusion, that it’s an eco-hotel. As they settle in, they learn about pollution in the Red Sea from Hayah, a hotel employee, and an unexpected visitor: a shark that has wandered into their resort.

SHARK: (In a New York accent) Here’s a good one for you: A shark walks into a restaurant and the waitress says, “You want a bite to eat?” And the shark says, “Sure, who’s on the menu?” ba da dum!
MILLIE: Hilarious! You don’t sound Egyptian.
SHARK: Good ear lady. Very good ear. Probably tasty too.
MILLIE: It’s Millie. And do I detect an American accent?
SHARK: You’re very observant. I like that in a woman. That, and a little ketchup.
MILLIE: You’re far from home.
SHARK: Yeah, my little section of the sea kept getting hotter and hotter and eventually I just said to myself, “Screw it, you know. Get out of the water. Get into the world. What have you got to lose?”
MILLIE: I can relate to that. We came here from England to enjoy a holiday and now we’ve been told that we only have one towel and we can’t have shrimp!
SHARK: That’s a crying shame! Shrimp is one of my favorites! (Pointing to her husband) Is that your old man? And are you attached to him? I’m kinda hungry and well, he . . . (Sniffing) he smells really good. (Campana)

The Shark, performed by Shady Meshreki, explains to Millie and Malcolm, played by Sohair Awady and Mahmoud Atta, why he has come out of the water and onto the land in *Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water*. Photo: Nermine Said

My connection to this story is personal. I lived in Egypt in the early 1990s, when the population of Cairo was under 11 million. Back then, I witnessed the country through the eyes of a naive twenty-something. I had heard that the Nile was polluted, but environmental concerns were not at the forefront of my mind (Kreisel). When I returned nine years ago, the consequences of rapid population growth were impossible to ignore. Today, Cairo is home to over 23 million people (Macrotrends), and across Egypt, water, food and electricity shortages are widespread, while pollution and garbage are abundant.

With more than 6,000 plastic-producing factories—half of which operate without environmental oversight (Soudi)—Egypt has become the largest contributor of plastic waste in the Mediterranean. The country is also heating up at twice the global average (Hergersberg). Yet, as in many places, while people acknowledge that the climate is changing, there is little environmental accountability or recognition of human impact. Over littering, excessive air conditioning, reliance on plastic and styrofoam, and idling cars remain common behaviors. According to the United Nations, “a large chunk of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to private households” (2024), but environmental education lags behind, and even when there is such education, for many individuals and families in Egypt facing economic and social pressures, sustainability is a low priority.

While Egypt’s climate problems are well-documented, with extensive research conducted by scientists, social scientists, engineers, architects and policymakers—many of whom teach at AUC—storytelling plays a vital role in bringing this data to life. So, when the playwrights shared their initial drafts, I reached out to colleagues specializing in climate change and asked them to review the scripts and offer specific data points that could be integrated into the action. Each playwright collaborated with an expert in the field and issue relevant to their story.

For instance, Associate Professor of Global Health and Human Ecology, Dr. Anwar ElNasr, an Aswan native who studies agrochemical contamination in Egyptian waters, worked with The Nile in Cairo Is Green playwright Marwan Abdelmoneim to ensure the play’s scientific accuracy. Professor of Microbiology Dr. Rania Siam contributed information and insights on the effects of toxic micro- and nano-particles in marine environments, which I incorporated into my own play set in a Red Sea resort in Sharm El Sheikh. Assistant Professor Dr. Fayrouz Ashour collaborated with playwright Fouad Teymour on Snowball in Heaven, set in the affluent Sheikh Zayed suburb of Cairo, helping him refine the play’s depiction of overconsumption and extreme weather.

In Snowball in Heaven, parents Samiha and Mahmoud have protected their daughter Yasmine from the world of Cairo by secluding themselves in one of the numerous gated communities of the city. Because they have sought this type of escapism, they struggle to understand why Yasmine would be on a school field trip to the recycling area of Mokattam, nicknamed “Garbage City,” until an unexpected hailstorm interrupts their assumptions. Dr. Ashour worked with us to understand how the development of compound living has led to a detachment of the ecological realities of the land and how, in some cases, youth are waking up to this estrangement and confronting the older generation:

YASMINE: Look! The AC is running 24/7. You use disposable single-use items for everything. You have no self-awareness. You plant a thirsty exotic garden in the middle of a desert. You should be planting cactus and succulents instead. Your raspberries and Begonias get more water than a family of four in Sa3eed. And don’t forget your elephant ear plant.
SAMIHA: It’s Alocasia. Alocasia Amazonia . . .
MAHMOUD: Alocasia what? I was hoping we could cook it with a nice lamb shank.
SAMIHA: You two have no respect for my botanical wonders.
YASMINE: You have no respect for the planet, Mom. You’re not sustainable! Your whole generation doesn’t get sustainability.
MAHMOUD: Your whole generation doesn’t get Life! Where would you be without us? We made all this for you (Teymour).

While scientists provide crucial data and technological innovations, addressing climate change requires collaboration across disciplines. Artists, humanists, policymakers, educators, community leaders and activists all play crucial roles. Climate experts helped us research the diverse environmental challenges faced by each governorate, but it was the playwrights, directors, designers and actors who illustrated the real impact of these issues on people across Egypt with their stories.

Youssef Ahmed, Ahmed Youssif and Mahmoud Shendy in *Very Environmental,* learn that Naded, played by Nada El Alaily, is the activist behind the new green space. Photo: Nermine Said

In early conversations with playwrights, we talked about the importance of leaving conflicts unresolved in the plays. By doing so, we hoped to spark questions, encourage reflection and prompt audiences to examine their own behaviors and practices. This approach is exemplified in Yehia Abdelgahny’s Very Environmental, which tells the story of a clash between an environmental activist and a local business owner displaced by the creation of a green space in Port Said.

Audiences arrived at the performance to find the character named Nahed enjoying a moment of peace in a newly built public park, only for her tranquility to be interrupted by Salem, a local butcher, and his ever-filming sidekick, Houda. As Houda enthusiastically makes TikTok videos of his boss, the duo sings and dances, inviting audience members to record their antics.

SALEM: So, this is the famous garden they’re making a fuss over.
HOUDA: Yeah, boss.
SALEM: They took people’s livelihoods for the sake of a few plants.
HOUDA: But… it does look nice.
SALEM: Well, the beating you’ll get will look nice too.
HOUDA: Why, boss?
SALEM: Hand me a cigarette if you like the view so much (Abdelghany).

The ending of Very Environmental left a palpable sense of tension, a deliberate choice designed to provoke reflection rather than deliver clear answers. Some audience members questioned the aggression of Salem, the displaced butcher, while others sympathized with his frustration; some admired Nahed’s environmental activism, while others resented the social costs of her efforts. In the play, her creation of a new green space—though well-intentioned—results in Salem losing the shop that had sustained his livelihood. These divergent responses underscored a central aim of Da Zanbokom: to avoid didacticism and, instead, invite spectators to engage with the complexity of each situation, recognizing themselves in its contradictions.

This open-ended approach ran through all ten plays, encouraging audiences to wrestle with questions of identity, responsibility, and the uneven costs of environmental change. Yet just as crucial as the stories themselves was where and how they were performed—embedded in specific sites, shaped by the landscapes and environmental pressures they aimed to reflect.

Dramatic Setting, Site-specificity and the Environment

Presented in five distinct garden locations, each mirroring the dramatic setting of its corresponding play and within walking distance of one another, the Da Zanbokom performances unfolded as small audience groups were guided from site to site. Each group was led by one of five guides, who doubled as provocateurs—engaging spectators with questions about household environmental practices and sharing insights into Egypt’s ecological challenges.

The evening began at a central outdoor gathering point: a mobile box office, where spectators were divided into five groups. Each guide introduced their group to the play’s overarching theme—environmental issues in Egypt—before leading an initial discussion. Standing in circles of 20 to 40 people, guides shared stories of rising temperatures, flooding, water shortages and increased shark attacks, asking, “Did you know that water cleanliness and scarcity are critical issues in Egypt?” Trained to both answer audience inquiries and prompt reflection, the guides encouraged spectators to connect climate change with their own experiences. Following these introductions, each guide led their group to a performance site representing a distinct Egyptian locale—Port Said, Aswan, Sheikh Zayed, Mansoura, and Sharm El Sheikh. En route, they provided contextual insights into how climate change was affecting the specific setting of the play they were about to witness. Upon arrival, all five groups simultaneously watched the first performance. To ensure every audience member experienced each of the five plays, the performances rotated throughout the evening, with each piece staged five times in succession.

This use of public gardens as stages resonated with Egypt’s long tradition of site-specific and community-based theatre, of employing theatre as a means for public education and to mobilize social and behavioral change. Ancient and classical theatre in Egypt utilized site-specificity and immersive techniques to draw spectators into the stories. Khayāl al-ẓill, storytelling, al-aragoz and Pharaonic temple reenactments provide excellent examples of communal as well as educational performance practices popular in ancient times. These traditions dissolved the barrier between audience and actors and were a conduit for social commentary (Feeny; Amine and Carlson; Sikes). Most importantly, they continue to influence popular theatre across the country. Similarly rooted in collective engagement, the latter not only reflects local stories and social issues but also privileges the connection between performer and audience. And because community and folk theatre is often performed in open-air venues, it is more accessible, aiming to reach audiences that might not typically attend a more formal play.

Contemporary examples of such work abound. Street performances organized by the United Nations Population Fund and Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity, which address family planning in regions with high fertility rates, highlight theatre’s continued role in public education (UNFPA). Nubian community theatre in Upper Egypt offers another strong example. Performed arena-style and outdoors, these productions center the preservation of Nubian language and traditions while inviting audiences to reflect on pressing social dilemmas (Abdulaal). Drawing on this legacy, Da Zanbokom sought to blend site-specificity, humor, and movement to build community around the realities of the climate crisis in Egypt.

In this spirit, Da Zanbokom’s immersive design drew audiences directly into the world of the plays. The fragrant gardens heightened sensory awareness, creating an atmosphere where the surrounding environment became part of the performance, and thus contributing to a truly visceral experience. The guides, as both tour leaders and actor-agitators, drew spectators in conversation, posing and answering questions, and performing subtle theatrical interventions along the way. For instance, a guide might pick up a strategically placed plastic water bottle, drop it into a recycling bin, and remind the group of the importance of recycling. Each audience group followed a unique route, led by their guide, ensuring varied perspectives on the experience. Upon arriving at the performance sites, the guides facilitated discussions or communal activities designed to deepen the audience’s connection to the story before the play began.

As a case in point, the play Grad Night addressed climate anxiety and agricultural instability. Set in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura, the story follows Noah, a recent university graduate who is preparing to take over the family farm. Overwhelmed by shifting growing seasons, increasing soil salinity and water shortages, he panics, fleeing his commencement ceremony and calling an Uber to escape. Before the car arrives, his sister catches up to him and demands to know why he left before accepting his diploma.

As the audience reached the location for this play, the guide posed a gentle but provocative question: “How many of you know someone who is anxious about the state of the climate?” Their responses led to deeper inquiry: “What do you do when you’re stressed?” “What worries you the most?” and “What is one simple action you can take to have a positive impact on the climate?” These moments of reflection culminated in a grounding ritual. The guide invited everyone to stand and said:

“Most of us feel that changes to the climate are affecting our lives and it’s stressful. And when we’re stressed, we don’t really think very clearly. Here we are in a beautiful garden filled with orange and grapefruit trees, palms and a clear night sky. When we feel stressed it’s important to try to get more oxygen to our brain, this helps us think better and in turn alleviates our stress. Before we see this play about climate anxiety, we are going to lead you through a breathing exercise designed to reduce anxiety and calm the mind. So, stand up and follow me.”

The guide then led the group through a series of deep breathing exercises that had been carefully researched, practiced and rehearsed. Afterwards, the audience was invited to sit back and listen. In this way, both the introduction to the play and the play itself encouraged participants to acknowledge collective climate anxiety rather than suppress it, prompting reflection on sentiments expressed in the performance, such as the ones captured in the following exchange:

NOAH: The water’s drying up, the temperature’s rising, and the crops can’t handle it. I go to work every day facing a bigger disaster than the day before. None of my friends are talking about the disaster we’re facing and some of them are about to graduate and work in factories or companies and become even more a part of the problem. And me? I’m supposed to sit among them tonight and celebrate my graduation when I’ll be managing farms that are going to die in my hands?
HAGAR: I understand. It’s a tough age. You’re not a child without responsibilities or a fully grown man with a grasp of the world. But there are so many possibilities to change this problem. Anything could happen. You yourself could change things. With your studies, if you continue and pursue a Master’s, you could help farmers live and—
NOAH: No, Hagar! No! I’m not going to carry this responsibility at all
HAGAR: You have to carry it. Not the whole world’s responsibility, of course, but, your path is to carry the responsibility of the farm. Dad is struggling these days, but he can’t keep working along while you try to understand the world. He can’t continue much longer. (El Captan)

As groups continued moving through the space, the interplay between performance and environment deepened. Containing over a hundred orange trees in addition to other local flora, the gardens themselves became active participants in the stories. Since the production coincided with Egypt’s orange harvest season, the scent of oranges filled the air, and the guides drew the audiences’ attention to this and noted Egypt’s reliance on this crop as the world’s largest exporter of oranges. At the play The Nile in Cairo Is Green, performed among a small orange grove, guides handed out fresh oranges and invited the audience to eat them as they watched.

Set on a Nile island in Aswan, the play follows Mansi and Salha as they contemplate leaving their home in Upper Egypt for Cairo, believing the capital offers a more reliable and safer water supply. As they weigh the pros and cons of relocation, their felucca captain reveals a potential cause of the current water shortage, forcing them to reconsider their assumptions about the crisis.

NASSER: Did you drink the tea?
MENSI: Just one sip. I didn’t like it.
NASSER: What about missus?
MENSI: Yes, my wife drank her cup.
NASER: Look, we’re not sure about this, but they say they cut off the water because it’s contaminated.
MENSI: What?
NASSER: There were people who got sick in Abu El Rish. There are rumors that the problem is there, and others say it’s cholera. May God protect us from this. I just wanted to tell you, so you can check on your wife. I’ll go get you a bottle of mineral water in case she needs medicine or something. (Abdelmoneim)

Malik Tantawy and Marie Attia in the performance of *The Nile in Cairo Is Green.* Photo: Nermine Said

Theatre allows us to tell the story of climate change in a way that humanizes the data, making the crisis more relatable and urgent. What may seem overwhelming or impossible to confront in reality becomes more digestible through dramatic storytelling. Egypt, perched on the Mediterranean, is among the hottest countries in the world and regularly records the lowest annual rainfall globally. The Nile, running the length of the country, and the Nile Delta, sustain the only fertile land for growing crops (aside from a few oases) in a nation that is approximately 96% desert (Raafat). The denial of human contribution to the climate catastrophe belies the present reality.

For the actors, performing each play five times a night became an act of personal reckoning. As they repeatedly embodied their characters’ fears, doubts, and insights, the cast began to reflect on their own roles in the crisis. Between performances, these reflections often surfaced. As one actor, Mariam, noted, “I think when it comes to climate change, as a country, we’re all aware of it, but it’s not in the forefront of our minds. It’s always just in the back.” She continued, “I’m realizing it’s not like massive things that you can do to alter your life completely, it’s just little, like little, tiny decisions that everyone can make that can help the world last for so much longer” (Fouad).

The impact of Da Zanbokom extended beyond the garden walls. In the final section, we explore how both audience members and the creative team responded to the performances—and how these responses revealed the emotional and intellectual resonance the plays had in their wake.

Feedback by Audiences and Creators

We created Da Zanbokom to educate audiences about climate change in Egypt and to raise awareness about the ways in which human behavior contributes to the problem. Our goal was to inspire small but meaningful changes in participants’ and audience members’ daily habits by prompting reflection on their own role in the crisis. The title, taken from the play Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water, serves as a reminder that environmental responsibility is a shared burden—one we must all take ownership of together.

HAYAH: We have to do our part to make sure the climate catastrophe doesn’t get worse.
MILLIE: Our part? We’re not from here.
HAYAH: We all play a part.
MILLIE: The climate problem is not my fault.
HAYAH: Da zanbokom. That’s Arabic for, it’s all our fault. We’re all responsible, one towel at a time.

I was eager to see whether this idea had resonated with audiences. A month after the production closed, an anonymous and voluntary post-production survey was distributed to both participants and audience members, gathering responses to assess the plays’ potential impact. Audience feedback indicated a shift in perspective and increased awareness. When asked, “What did the play make you think about the environmental problem in Egypt?” respondents shared insights such as:

“The play showed me that real change happens at the lowest level. That our daily habits form up our attitude towards the environment. We can’t speak ‘green’ then indulge in plastics and fuels all day long.”
“I already knew that Egypt is not actively trying to help the environment, but the play made me aware of what exactly the problems are.”
“It raised awareness by personalizing the crisis.”

Having developed popular theatre projects addressing social and justice issues in over 20 countries, I have found that while audience feedback often reflects learning and reflection, it is typically the artists involved in creating the work who are most profoundly affected. Perhaps this is because they fully immerse themselves in the issue, living through it in the realm of dramatic fiction. Da Zanbokom was no exception—it sparked meaningful conversations and deepened awareness of the human impact on climate change in Egypt.

In the same post-production survey, cast and crew members expressed that their participation not only gave them a new perspective on Egypt’s environmental challenges but also inspired personal behavioral changes. Their responses to the same question posed to audience members—“What did the play make you think about the environmental problem in Egypt?”—demonstrated both increased awareness and a commitment to action. They shared:

“I will definitely be more aware of how I manage my waste, starting at the source by using durable and recyclable materials in the first place.”
“I’m going to start taking responsibility for the current state of the environment and where it is heading.”
“The play showed me how widespread and dire the environmental crisis is and how everyone is affected by it in one way or another.”
There are a lot of things that we complain about, regarding the environment, but until the play I didn’t see how we are part of the cause.”
”To start taking responsibility for the current state of the environment and where it is heading.”

And in a follow-up interview, one cast member summed up her experience thus:

“We were all aware of climate change and all these problems, but I don’t think we fully grasped the impact. We learned—not just from our own play, but from all the plays in Da Zanbokom. And for me, that’s what theatre is about. It’s not just about having fun; it’s about learning what we need to do to help the environment. Da Zanbokom. I know that now.” (Alawady)

These responses suggest that Da Zanbokom not only engaged audiences but also inspired real reflection and action among its participants—perhaps the most lasting impact of all.

Hana Abdelsalem and Omar El Hefnawy in front of the camera in the video shoot of *Grad Night.* Photo: Hana Iskander

Conclusion: Outreach

After a post-mortem with the playwrights, climate experts and participants, and some minor adjustments to language, settings and blocking, we spent a few weeks video-recording the plays. The edited recordings will be distributed to schools across Egypt and made available on YouTube. Everyone on the production team agreed that young people need more accessible and engaging climate education to better understand the connection between their daily habits and the environmental challenges facing their country. Fictional yet deeply personal stories have the power to humanize the climate crisis, fostering emotional connections that make the issue feel immediate rather than distant—something to engage with rather than avoid as a scientific or political debate. Many of the plays’ characters are young people grappling with problems caused by environmental damage, making the narratives especially relatable. Additionally, the visual appeal of video heightens the sense of urgency, reinforcing the idea that action is necessary and achievable. While we all recognized the emotional and intellectual impact of live theatre, we also wanted to make these stories widely accessible. Filming the plays—using close-up, handheld shots to create an intimate, immersive feel—allowed us to bring the experience to a much larger audience, including students in classrooms.

Dramatic performances, whether on stage or on screen, shift the conversation from a distant, theoretical problem to a personal one. When audiences see characters directly experiencing the consequences of climate change, the crisis moves from the abstract to something tangible. The symbolic imagery in Da Zanbokom—excessive plastic waste, a pregnant woman, a cup of contaminated water, hail in summer—transforms systemic issues into digestible narratives that illustrate Egypt’s environmental challenges. With its ten-minute format, varied settings, and immersive structure, Da Zanbokom invites conversation, giving audiences space to reflect, engage and discuss the stories, characters and problems. By bringing the climate catastrophe closer to home, the project fosters a sense of responsibility and encourages small but meaningful behavioral changes.

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*Jillian Campana is a Professor of Theatre and the Associate Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, AUC. She holds an interdisciplinary PhD in Theatre and Social Sciences and has developed applied arts programs in over 20 countries, including programs for persons living with brain injuries, victims of human trafficking and corporate businesses. She is the producer of the film The Puzzle Club and the PBS television documentary The Making of the Puzzle Club. Her books include, Acting Successful (2015), Western Theatre in Global Contexts (Routledge, 2020) and It’s Not My Fault: New Plays on Sexual Harassment in Egypt (AUC Press, 2023). Her work has been honored by the American College Theatre Festival, the PBS independent Lens Awards and the European Social Fund. She is the recipient of the 2023 Times Higher Education Research Project of the Year Award in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for the MENA region. Contact details: jillian.campana@aucegypt.edu; jilliancampana@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0645-7648.