Unlocking the Secrets of “The Last City”: A Cautionary Tale by Jeannie Tirado
Jeannie Tirado is helping to bring a cautionary science fiction tale to life. The new 14-episode limited Wondery series, The Last City, is an immersive “cli-fi” narrative audio drama set in a futuristic utopia where a ravaged wasteland lies beyond its walls, and people fight to salvage the planet. The fictional scripted series, starring Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul), Maury Sterling (Homeland), Tirado (Fairy Tail Zero), Skye Lourie (The Pillars of the Earth), and Celia Rose Gooding (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), released on podcast platforms everywhere on April 22, Earth Day.
Exploring the World of Pura
A geoengineered paradise in the climate-ravaged year of 2072, Pura stands as a miraculous green haven, protecting lucky residents from heat domes, fires, floods, and droughts. Tirado portrays Demetria Lopez, Pura’s PR fixer who tirelessly promotes the idyllic image of the city. However, after discovering a dark secret at the heart of Pura’s existence, she must choose between what she values and who she is willing to protect.
The Relevance of The Last City’s Climate-Focused Story
The voice actor spoke to PopCulture about starring in the fictional scripted series and the importance of The Last City’s climate-focused story and themes. She said she was instantly drawn to the role of Demetria, explaining, “The story itself is so dynamic, and I think it’s so relevant. I could easily see it, you know, it takes place like in the future, but not crazy in the future. And you can actually see that this could happen. So that was interesting on this part of the story.”
The Interplay Between Mental Health and Climate Change
The Last City weaves together elements of the climate crisis, its subsequent mental health consequences, and complicated feelings about our shared future. The hope is that this helps the story resonate with listeners, and Tirado said she finds the themes “very relevant.”
Promoting Thoughtful Conversations
Good Energy, a nonprofit story consultancy for the age of climate change, was a consultant on the series. With the help of this agency, Tirado said the narrative podcast could act as a “good conversation starter to think about what side of this conflict would I be, where would I stand?”
Challenging Perceptions
“With Last City, I want to challenge people to see how this almost actually has more elements than you realize from now. You think of an entire world displaced because of climate change, and in some ways, you can think, oh, that’s sci-fi, but there’s so many people around the world right now that are experiencing it, experiencing displacement and looking for political asylum.”
Encouraging Self-Reflection
Tirado said, “That’s a now thing. And I want people to see that, hear this story, put themselves in the story, and ask themselves, what would I do if I were in that situation? Because tomorrow’s never promised, and you never know what could happen.”