Various community organizations will also give presentations advocating for the climate movement and celebrating environmental strides being made in the East Lansing area. 

The play festival works to communicate complicated environmental topics through the performing arts, calling for change by combining the empowerment of activism with the inspiration of theatre. For Beal Director Dr. Alan Prather, the garden's partnership with the event demonstrates its role in the community beyond preserving natural beauty on campus.

"Our focus is on illuminating the interconnection of people, plants and places in ways that support MSU’s mission and strengthen the MSU community," said Dr. Prather. He expressed hope that connecting environmental activists through a creative outlet "empowers our community by galvanizing action on climate change."

Dr. Prather added that efforts made by MSU researchers "continue to make great advances in addressing climate change," and that "the topic is a primary concern of MSU students, which means that the MSU community understands that climate change action is urgent and critical."

CCTA aims to utilize theatre as an engaging and inclusive means to inspire students and provide them with a safe space to process the heavy topic of climate change.

"Theatre not only has a role in building awareness, but it can evoke feeling which could lead to transformational emotional responses within the audience," said Angelica Bajos, Community and Sustainability Coordinator of Beal Botanical Garden. "We aim to spark a sense of solidarity that Spartans will take action amongst climate change, emphasizing that climate change is a collective responsibility and that every action no matter the size is connected and impactful."

Bajos emphasized that working with the CCTA artists, scientists and community members has been an energizing and empowering experience thus far, and "has shown me how effective planting a seed in someone's mind can be."

One featured playwright, Elspeth Tilley, has been involved with Climate Change Theatre Action since it first began in 2015. Her play "The Penguins" is featured in the 2025 festival and details the consequences of human impact on the environment, both positive and negative, through humor.

"I hope they laugh at the penguins being snarky about humanity, but then about the hubris of humanity to think we can continue to do whatever we please with the planet. We can’t, and we have to learn humility to understand that," said Tilley. "Laughing at ourselves is a great way to help us embrace a more curious, humble, learning state of mind."

Theatre, Tilley expressed, provides a place to communicate difficult topics in complex ways that effectively explore different viewpoints. "In the theatre, we are pulled into an alternate world where the unheard speak: marginalized people, the murmuring river, even a waddle of cranky penguins. We suspend disbelief and let a worm’s whisper or the atmosphere’s sigh reshape our understanding. Instead of drowning us in facts, theatre clothes things in metaphor and humor. We laugh, we relax and that opens us to new insights," Tilley said.