Treaty: A Play About How Not to Blow Up the Planet

Description

Ground UP Productions and Town Hall Theater present Treaty: A Play About How Not to Blow Up the Planet, a compelling and urgently timely work of documentary theater by acclaimed British playwright Chris Thorpe. Performances will take place March 27–29 at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury.

At a moment when global tensions are rising, nuclear arsenals are expanding, and the Doomsday Clock remains perilously close to midnight, Treaty asks a disarmingly simple question: how do ordinary people begin to dismantle the most dangerous weapons on earth? Blending storytelling, journalism, and live conversation, the play explores the human side of global nuclear negotiations and the growing international movement behind the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

After a chance encounter with a disarmament expert, Thorpe immersed himself in the world of nuclear policy and the everyday individuals working toward the extraordinary goal of complete nuclear disarmament. Drawing on conversations with activists, diplomats, and organizations deeply involved in these negotiations — including the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize — Treaty invites audiences into a nuanced examination of power, responsibility, and the real possibility of change.

The production features Seth Shelden, General Counsel and United Nations Liaison for ICAN, whose firsthand experience helping advance the treaty — and contributing to ICAN’s Nobel Peace Prize–winning efforts — brings immediacy and authority to the performance. Directed by Kate Middleton, who resides in Addison County when she is not in Manhattan, the production features a professional cast of New York City actors.

More than a play, Treaty is an invitation to civic dialogue. It challenges audiences to consider how conversations about nuclear weapons can move from international conference rooms into our own communities and lives. At a time when many feel powerless in the face of global crises, Treaty offers a rare combination of clear-eyed realism and genuine hope — reminding us that transformative change has often begun with small groups of committed individuals willing to imagine a different future.

Ground UP Productions, a 23-year-old nonprofit Off-Broadway theatre company based in Manhattan’s West Village, is dedicated to creating honest, intimate theatre through new works — character-driven stories with heart that aim to inspire change in our world. Since 2005, the company has produced nearly 30 works, including 11 new plays, six of which have been published by Samuel French, Dramatists Play Service, and Broadway Play Publishing. Known for its Annual New Works Festival, Ground UP gathers award-winning playwrights and Broadway performers each February to workshop some of the most exciting new writing emerging from New York City. Treaty was discovered and workshopped during the company’s 2024 New Works Festival and recently was awarded a two-week residency at The Foundry in West Stockbridge, MA, in May 2025.

Ground UP’s productions have received numerous reviews, including raves from The New York Times, and have been repeatedly nominated for New York Innovative Theatre (NYIT) Awards in categories such as Best Set Design, Costume Design, Original Music, and Best New Musical.

With Treaty, Town Hall Theater continues its commitment to presenting bold, thought-provoking work that connects global issues to local audiences — inviting our community not just to witness the conversation, but to be part of it.