(Jamie Nicholson | Student Life)

Two organizers of the radical performance activism group Earth Church, William Talen and Savitri D, gave a sermon and answered a series of questions posed by Professor Leigh Eric Schmidt in the second installment in the “Reverent Irreverence” series. The event was hosted by the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics in Emerson Auditorium, Feb. 6. 

Formerly known as The Church of Stop Shopping, Earth Church is known for enacting theatrical stunts emulating the style of evangelical protestors to protest mass-consumerism and the exploitation of Earth’s resources. Their activities have ranged from entering JP Morgan Chase buildings and dancing on office desks, to attempting to exorcize demons from cash registers in various Starbucks. 

Talen is an actor and playwright who acts in the role of Reverend Billy for the Church, and he channels the voices and mannerisms of televangelists to play his character. Savitri D serves as the artistic director for the organization, choreographing and directing protests, and was cited by Reverend Billy as the author of the sermon he performed at the event.

Onstage barefoot in a neon pink suit, Reverend Billy said Earth Church has been shifting away from protest performances and is currently focused on providing housing to the recent influx of immigrants to New York City, many of whom arrived after Texas Governor Greg Abbott used state funding to fly immigrants to cities who advertise themselves as welcoming immigration. 

He talked about the process of locating food for 100 people and told a story of how a bodega run by immigrants from Yemen generously donated all the food they could to the cause.

“I just got a pile of stuff from these fellow immigrants and I brought it over in big paper bags,” Billy said. “It was just heartbreaking how hungry they were, how they went for the bread. It registered to me that there’s a kind of hunger going on that I’ve never in my life experienced.” 

He said the best way to create a bond with the Earth is to experience nature physically. 

“We just have to take the time to slow down and go into a forest,” he said. “Go into your favorite ecosystem, start talking to the trees, and listen.”

To conclude his sermon, he ran down the seating aisles of the auditorium chanting “Earthalujah” in a call-and-response style with the audience. 

During the Q&A portion of the event, Savitri D joined Reverend Billy onstage with Schmidt and elaborated on how the climate crisis has led to Earth Church’s shift away from the anti-consumerist protest performances.

“I think things are a lot less funny than they were 10 years ago,” Savitri D said. “I don’t know, can we afford to joke around as much as we used to?

When asked about why Earth Church chooses to implement costumes and theater into their protest, Savitri D said that part of the performance is a tactic that keeps them from being ignored.

“It’s disarming to people as activists when they don’t know what you are, because the minute you’re a protestor, you don’t matter to people,” she said. “They just glaze over you.”

Reverend Billy elaborated on whether the Earth Church is serious or ironic. 

“That’s what’s exciting to us about the Earth Church,” he said, “We don’t know what it is, but other people don’t either.”

Junior Taryn Dixon said discerning between what was serious and what was supposed to be a joke was difficult during the event.

“He’s a reverend shouting the ultimate truth, and because of that it felt a little legitimate,” she said. “It was weird for me to read between the lines of how much of this is real and how much is this just us playing pretend.”

She also talked about how she found the interaction between Savitri D and Reverend Billy surprising considering his role as the actor playing Billy and her role as theatrical director.

“I was surprised by the duality of their activism and how it’s like a play, and she’s more of an artist,” she said. “She was really the one answering the questions.”

Savitri D, when asked about what the role of music is in their activism, said singing is what makes their activism possible.  

“I think music is the original technology of democracy,” she said. “What happens when we sing together takes care of so many of the odious and laborious tasks of having a meeting and doing things like reaching consensus.”

Reverend Billy and Savitri D ended the event by leading the audience in a “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat” sing-along.