TIME has selected acclaimed KYOTO playwrights, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, for the 2025 TIME100 Climate list, recognizing the 100 most innovative leaders driving business climate action. KYOTO, an account of the 1997 climate negotiations that led to first legally binding international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is currently in performances at Lincoln Center Theater’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater as a co-production from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Good Chance, Rachel Styne and Jessica Foung, after being nominated for a 2025 Olivier Award for Best Play.
The full TIME100 Climate list will be featured in the November 10, 2025, issue of TIME, available on newsstands Friday, October 31.
Ahead of tonight’s opening of KYOTO, playwrights Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson were honored for their work using storytelling to inspire action on urgent contemporary issues. In the context of modern discussions around global climate policy, KYOTO serves as both a reflection of the past and a call to collective action. When speaking to TIME, Good Chance co-Artistic Directors Murphy and Roberston also emphasized the necessity of dialogue, future sustainability efforts to minimize the environmental impact of art, and the possibilities of art centered on shared humanity and hope as a climate solution.
Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson said, “Manmade climate change is real. But we, as a society, have not yet chosen to fully respond to its reality. As playwrights, we look to theatre and art for answers. Stories change society, inspire individuals to change their behaviour, and create emotional reactions in audiences – the cumulative effect of which is eventually difficult to deny.
We are honoured to be a part of Time’s Climate 100 list amongst such inspirational leaders from around the world. It is a testament to the work of all of our KYOTO company members, past and present, on stage and off, who believe as we do in the power of theatre and storytelling to help us navigate difficult and confusing times.
It inspires us to continue finding new ways of telling stories to inspire and empower audiences, which, alongside the work of scientists, policy makers, negotiators and others, might just help shift the dial.”
Directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin (The Jungle; Stranger Things: The First Shadow), the Lincoln Center Theater production of KYOTO is presented by arrangement with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Good Chance, Rachel Styne & Jessica Foung.
KYOTO stars Stephen Kunken, reprising his celebrated role as American lawyer and ex-government strategist ‘Don Pearlman,’ Jorge Bosch, reprising his Olivier Award-nominated role as Argentinian lawyer and conference leader ‘Raul Estrada-Oyuela,’ Peter Bradbury as climate change skeptic ‘Fred Singer,’ Kate Burton as ‘USA,’ Feodor Chin as ‘China,’ Erin Darke as ‘Germany,’ Natalie Gold as ‘Shirley,’ Daniel Jenkins as ‘Gore/Bolin/Santer/Observer,’ Dariush Kashani as ‘Saudi Arabia,’ Rob Narita as ‘Japan,’ Imani Jade Powers as ‘Secretariat,’ Ferdy Roberts reprising his role as ‘U.K./Prescott/Houghton,’ Roslyn Ruff as ‘Tanzania,’ and Taiana Tully as ‘Kiribati.’ Offstage understudies include Odera Adimorah, Clark Carmichael, Luis Carlos de La Lombana, Paul Juhn, Amelia McClain, and Lianah Sta. Ana.
AloJapan.com