Self discovery is illuminated on a quest to understand myths in a Saharan desert.
It was a once in a lifetime job to find treasure beneath a relentless sea of sand amongst the fading culture of a timeless nomadic people. But in this quest were born larger questions. What defines us as the human race? What are our greater responsibilities as global citizens to people and the environment? In the timeless sands of the Sahel along the fathomless Sahara Desert geologist and writer Dr. Roger James Kuhns sought answers to these questions. In this West African environment he wrestled with the behavior of a multi-national corporation that ultimately decided the fate of his exploration team, his friend and mentor Hugo Dummett, and his own life.
In the gold exploration meanders with two of his colleagues, Kuhns experienced the fundamentals of survival while working along the ragged edge between wealth and poverty.
The multi-national corporation seemed to cause loyalties to fly in the face of common sense and concern for people. On these journeys with his team of West African exploration geologists Kuhns became immersed in the overlapping cultures and dreams within one of the poorest regions on Earth. At one point he met with the President of Burkina Faso, and this led to illuminating discussions revealing how the President perceived foreign companies working in his country.
This is a true adventure along old Berber caravan trails, and near the home of a mysterious people who attest to alien visitations that now guide part of their culture. That spurred Kuhns to examine the sometimes serious, sometimes comic intersections of science, myth, religion and culture.
Kuhns witnessed firsthand the changing ecology and climate of the Sahel and the Sahara as our Earth warms. And he sought to document indicators of these changes by following the rumors of the last crocodiles in a desert land. This journey, through an exciting story telling monologue, brings these many experiences together in a surprising and poignant conclusion.
© Roger James Kuhns 2008
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Past Shows
June 2008 | Third Avenue Playhouse, Wisconsin
"A gifted writer and musician, Kuhns has used his life experiences to craft monologues that are as culturally and scientifically enlightening as they are emotionally moving....'In Crocodiles in the Desert', he moves easily between the changing ecology and climate of the West African Sahel and spellbinding tales of a mysterious people who claim to have seen both aliens and crocodiles in their desert land." - Judy M. Drew, Executive Director, Third Avenue Playhouse