What does WWE wrestling have to do with climate change?

Ask the artists behind “Once There Were Six Seasons,” a show about climate change premiering in Austin on April 19th.

The show is a production of the Glass Half Full Theatre, an Austin-based group that uses puppetry and physical theater techniques to tell stories rooted in the environment and social justice.

Caroline Reck (right) rehearses Once There Were Six Seasons with the rest of the cast at her home rehearsal space in East Austin

For Caroline Reck (the founder and producing artistic director of Glass Half Full Theatre) this kind of impact-oriented work is exactly why she does what she does.

“I personally am really only interested in theater that has something to say,” Caroline said in an interview with AEN.

With “Once There Were Six Seasons,” the Glass Half Full Theatre does exactly that, using puppets to expose the audience to the many ways that climate change has already impacted communities around the world. In the second half of the show, the fake wrestlers take the stage with character names and backstories representing the different solutions to climate change.

“And the reason we thought about using wrestling is one, it’s just fun,” Caroline said. “So you can talk about things without people being like, ‘ugh, shut up.'”

The cast of Once There Were Six Seasons rehearsing

The show ends with an interactive exhibit that allows people to see how they can play a role in stopping climate change.

“We’re called Glass Half Full because I do really think we should look at solutions with an optimistic bent,” Caroline said. “We can laugh at how difficult it is, we can make fun of it.”

Want to see the puppets and wrestlers up close and personal? You can get your ticket to “Once There Were Six Seasons” here>>

Want to learn more about Caroline? She’s this month’s Office of Sustainability Net-Zero Hero! You can read all about her here>>