Publication Date: Friday, September 17, 2004
Election drama
Election drama
(September 17, 2004) Politics make good bedfellows in local fall theater
by Sue Dremann
T he play's plot sounds eerily familiar: After American troops invade a foreign country to safeguard its oil supply, a rumor circulates concerning their mistreatment of local prisoners.
Though the premise of "Veracruz" sounds like it was ripped from today's headlines, the play was written before the country's mission in Iraq.
This Pear Avenue Theatre production -- a world premiere opening tonight -- is just one of several political offerings heating up local theater this fall. Nearly everybody's getting into the act, from high-school drama groups (Palo Alto High School) to professional theater troupes (Palo Alto Players, Bus Barn Stage Company). All four groups are preparing to unleash a spate of theatrical activism in the weeks before the Nov. 2 presidential election. And they share a significant discontent with President George W. Bush and his administration's policies.
Relevance between history and current events drew Pear Avenue Theatre's Artistic Director Diane Tasca to "Veracruz." "The subject matter of the play is eerily prescient. I found its use of historical figures and (political) parallels irresistible," she said.
First drafted in the early1990s, "Veracruz" chronicles the true history of America's invasion of Mexico in 1914, with Jack London as an embedded journalist who learns of a scandal. The play's themes -- the torture and murder of prisoners, cover-ups, and the role of the "embedded" press to tell the truth rather than pander to those who gave them access -- mirror today's war in Iraq.
Though "Veracruz" is typical of the Pear's edgy agenda -- it is dedicated to staging new works -- it is not your typical modern play. In fact, there is little theatrical activism in modern theater because funding is so tricky, according to "Veracruz" director Jeannie Forte.
"Corporate funders don't want things that are edgy," she said. "If you ask them what kinds of plays they'd like to see staged, they'll tell you they want things that are light and entertaining. It's kind of a stretch to do anything more controversial, but that's what we love to do at the Pear. We're a small house and independent, and don't rely on corporate funding."
Another timely play is "The White House Murder Case," (SEE REVIEW, PAGE XX) which kicks off the Palo Alto Players' 74th season. Though scripted by political cartoonist and playwright Jules Feiffer in 1969, the play bears uncanny parallels to today's issues: The mystery satire is about a president and cabinet embroiled in an unpopular war and major military blunder. Someone close to the president threatens to leak the screw-up to the press, but then turns up murdered in the White House. The play follows government spin-meisters as they try to do damage control, with humorous results.
"In-between the laughs and melodrama, you can slip in a message," said David Sikula, director of the play.
Though the production is topical, it does not take sides, which appealed to Sikula. In fact, he wants his arch-conservative sister to attend the play.
"While I think there are a lot of parallels to Bush and Iraq, it's equally applicable to Clinton, Nixon, Reagan. It gets to the heart of how these people act. Whatever it is they're saying at the time, no matter how big the lie, they completely believe it," he said.
Rekindling an interest in national politics is high on Paly director Kristin Lo's agenda. It's why she selected the satire, "43 Plays for 43 Presidents." Featuring brief vignettes, each mini-play consists of two-minute presidential biographies, along with the handing-down of a special coat, which is the metaphor for the presidency.
Lo was attracted to the play as a way to make politics and history entertaining and pertinent to students' lives.
"Politics isn't looked at today -- for students, it's made so Hollywood," she said.
The performances will run the day before Election Day, which is no accident, Lo said. The importance of voting is paramount, and she hopes to have a voter-registration table set up outside the theatre.
Independent-minded Vicki Reeder has been poking fun of the seduction and absurdity of power on both the local and national stage for 11 years, through Bus Barn Stage Company's annual "Follies" musical parody.
"Our local politicians in Los Altos are always doing something to make fun of. This year, they passed a city ordinance banning plastic chairs."
This year's Follies, entitled "A Salute to Strange Bedfellows," also skewers the corporate and energy scandals, courtesy of a "Jailhouse Rock" rendition. The troupe is using lyrics written to tunes from "The Wizard of Oz," which have President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney singing "If I Only Had a Brain," and "If I Only Had a Heart." But Reeder's satire is also bipartisan, and John Kerry gets the Follies treatment with a rendition of the Cole Porter tune "Johnny One-Note."
Reeder isn't out to change minds. She just wants people to come and have fun, and although many Los Altans tend to be conservative, most take her left-wing humor in stride, she said.
"To control political direction is hard and disappointing, so you can just laugh at it."
Bus Barn also plans a staged reading of "Dear George: Letters to a President" in October. Culled from letters submitted online to www.deargeorgeletters.com, the missives represent different viewpoints from all over the country, and will be read concurrently at different venues nationwide, according to Bus Barn Artistic Director Barbara Cannon.
It's unknown if the autumn productions signify the start of a serious trend in political theater. Because of polarization in the country, it probably seems more prominent, said TheatreWorks artistic director Robert Kelley. The company has largely approached politics through social issues, such as last year's "Memphis," which focused on racial issues, and "Nickel and Dimed," about the underclass.
This season's "Living Out" (opening Oct. 9), which addresses the disparities between rich and poor continues the theme, but TheatreWorks is steering clear of any direct response to this year's coming election. And Gunn High School's drama department is "fleeing from it this year," according to director Jim Shelby. Instead, Gunn will perform "The Odd Couple," which is "in a sense about gender politics," Shelby said. After last year's performance of 'The Crucible,' it seemed time to laugh."
But Cannon sees a flicker on the horizon.
"There's a real momentum starting in this country with the election, and I suspect if Bush wins, there will be a momentum in the country to be more political again. There are many issues that people are very much divided on in this country. It's starting to feel more like the '60s. Movements are growing. Theater always has a finger on that."
Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.
"Veracruz" will open tonight (sold-out) the Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Ave., Unit K, in Mountain View. Call 254-1148. Show times are Thu.-Sat. at 8 p.m.; Sun. at 2 or 7 p.m. The show runs through Oct. 10. Tickets are $15-$20 for Fri.-Sat. performances; $10-$15 for Thu. and Sun. shows. For more information please call (650) (650) 254-1148 or visit www.thepear.org.
"The White House Murder Case," presented by Palo Alto Players, will run through Sept. 26 at Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Show times are 8 pm. Wednesday through Saturday; matinees at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $22 for Sunday performances; $24 for Wednesday and Thursday performances; $25 for Friday evenings $27 for Saturday evenings. Call (650) 329-0891 or visit www.paplayers.org.
"A Salute to Strange Bedfellows," presented by Bus Barn Stage Company Follies, will preview Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Bus Barn Theatre, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. A reception will take place Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.; a black-tie gala will take place Oct. 16 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for Thu. preview; $75 for the Fri. reception; $90 for the Sat. gala. Proceeds will benefit Bus Barn Stage Company. For more information please call (650) 941-0551 or visit www.busbarn.org. Upcoming information about "Dear George: Letters to a President" will also be available online.
"43 Plays for 43 Presidents" will be performed by students of the Palo Alto High School Theatre Department Oct. 28 through Nov. 1 at Haymarket Theatre, Palo Alto High School, 50 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Call (650) 329-3857 for show times and ticket prices.
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