PMA 4825/6825: Theatre and Social Change is a course that focuses on the ethical and sociological dimensions of climate change in the Finger Lakes. Working in collaboration with Toby Ault, assistant professor of earth and atmospheric sciences, Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr., senior lecturer in performing and media arts, and Sarah K. Chalmers from Civic Ensemble, students in the class conduct a series of Story Circles with a diverse range of local residents from scientists and skeptics to farmers and pro/anti-frackers.

The team crafts this ethnographic data along with their scholarly research into a type of public performance, featuring both students and community members, known as a Living Newspaper. These performances, staged on campus and across the community, are followed by curated talkbacks featuring the participants and members of the Climate Action Advisory Group.