Little Lessons of Wonder

Addressing our attitude towards nature and the possibilities of restoring it, the performance is designed for audiences of all ages. The creators based the performance on the sense of “wonder” that Rachel Carson so passionately advocated. According to the pioneer of contemporary environmental movements, this is the only way we can build new awareness about our existence in the world and about the world itself and collectively envision a different future.

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” - Rachel Carson

The performance unveils the world through the eyes of Rachel Carson, American biologist and zoologist and a pivotal figure in launching the global environmental movement, intertwining her personal story with her revolutionary ideas.

The text created specifically for the performance draws inspiration from Carson’s books, letters and public speeches. Strongly inspired by Rachel Carson's thoughts and work, the performance creators explore the concept of personal responsibility concerning climate change, which impacts each and every one of us.

Little Lessons of Wonder is not a biographical work about Rachel Carson; rather, it is a performance where moments of her life and scientific and societal thought come together to create a testimony to a different approach towards nature and the world.

The performance is based on the books by Rachel Carson Under the Sea Wind (Simon and Shuster, 1941), The Sea Around Us (Oxford University Press, 1951), The Edge of the Sea (Hougton Mifflin, 1955), Silent Spring (Hougton Mifflin, 1962) and The Sense of Wonder (Harper and Row, 1965). The production also uses excerpts from documentary films The Sea Around Us (1953, Irwin Allen Production) and The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson (1963, CBS & PBS). The soundscape of the performance is built up by excerpts from the songs by Paolo Codognola (Esiodo e Mnemosine, Bag of Bones, Essere Attenta, Esiodo e Mnemosine, Viaggio di Ritorno), Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg (Over the Rainbow), Django Reinhardt (Beyond the Sea), Bob Thiele and George David Weiss (What a Wonderful World), Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse (Feeling Good) and Joni Mitchell (Big Yellow Taxi). 

Premiere: 6 February 2025, Small Stage LGL