When I first learned about the Liberty Cabbage Theater Revival, Rachel Young was passing out fliers for a local conference on genetically modified organisms ~ just as our class prepared to rappel down a sheer rock face. The theater troupe was performing at the conference that night. It was the latest venue in their apparently long and widespread tour. Weeks later, as I was researching Pioneer Valley organizations involved in environmental justice movements or issues, I became increasingly intrigued with the notion of a primarily student-based theater troupe interpreting and educating about political and environmental justice through music and art. I wanted to know more.

I interviewed Rachel and Erika Arthur one evening at their home in Hadley. They live in the Root 9 Collective, an intentional community of eight to ten women, most of whom are involved in the Liberty Cabbage Theater. Rachel described the troupe as part of a subculture in the global justice movement. They combine art and activism primarily in the form of "political puppetry."

One of the first things I learned is that puppetry has been used internationally for decades as a kind of folk art to relate cultural issues and political activism to a variety of audiences. Puppets, music and allegorical theater provide an extremely accessible medium for conveying information and involving people of all ages and backgrounds of knowledge. A basic tenet of the art is its anti-elitist form. Materials, like cardboard and papier-mâché, are mostly scavenged and free. And, the essentialized, melodramatic characters rely on symbolism, gesture and simple imagery to convey their message.

The Liberty Cabbage Theater Revival began performing in the wake of September 11, with the "commitment to create the world in which we would like to live." From short, satirical skits to an hour-long touring musical, the theater is an extension of the social change activism of the collective's members. Their major show thus far has toured all over New England for an extended season throughout the summer and into the fall of 2002. Collectively written and designed, "A Sense of Humus: A Puppet-filled Musical about Agriculture, Gardening, and the Politics of Genetically Engineered Food," addresses concerns related to gene technology and genetically engineered foods and possible risks to consumers and the environment from biotechnology companies such as Monsanto. It also presents alternatives to biotechnology through sustainable agriculture techniques.

As the "Sense of Humus" performance season comes to a close, the Liberty Cabbage Theater Revival continues its creative activism. Before leaving the Root 9 Collective, I toured the upstairs space dedicated to art supplies, musical instruments, and a few recent props. This is a workplace for the theater, as well as a future studio open for community use ~ just one more way in which the collective and troupe are seeking to engage people with politics and art.

The Liberty Cabbage Theater Revival
root9collective@riseup.net
413-586-4792

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