“It Ain't Right and It Ain't Natural”: Climate Change in Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown

This paper examines the portrayal of climate change across three versions of Anaïs Mitchell’s musical Hadestown by focusing on the lyrics of the show. It works to historicize the growing focus on climate change — as opposed to the changing of the seasons — between 2010 and 2019. The setting of the show shifts away from a post-apocalyptic Great Depression and towards a near-future as Americans began to feel more threatened by severe weather caused by climate change; it was no longer an entirely abstract problem. The show consistently emphasizes the helplessness of the characters as Orpheus always turns around, but there is a growing emphasis on hope, as he is given a second chance.