Bella Poynton, assistant professor of theatre, continues to earn national acclaim for her new play, "The Appliance Department," a study on robotic intelligence, which was selected as the winner for both the 12th annual Inkslinger Playwriting Contest and the fifth annual Black Swamp Playwriting Contest.
In addition to these honors, Poynton’s play "An Unlikely Refuge" was recently published in "Urban Infill Volume 9: Great Lakes Climate Mobilities." This publication explores a critical question for the region: "How might climate change reshape the human and physical geographies of Great Lakes cities?" The question posits that as wildfires intensify in the west, sea levels rise along the coasts and freshwater becomes increasingly scarce, the Great Lakes region may become a destination due to its relative climate stability and water abundance -- although the timing and magnitude of such migration remain uncertain.
Featured in the “Counter-Narratives” section, "An Unlikely Refuge" envisions Buffalo in the year 2075, presenting a possible future shaped by climate migration. Alongside critical analysis and design visualizations, the play challenges prevailing assumptions and offers a powerful artistic response to one of the most pressing issues of the time.
-- Submitted by the Theatre Department