Artists everywhere are contemplating what type of art they should create in changing, uncertain times. The question becomes “Do you offer political drama or escapism entertainment?”
Escapism entertainment seems to be the winning choice. Most of the summer theater schedules have been released and it’s difficult to find a work that addresses contemporary issues.
To be fair, many of the selections were made before the November elections. Nonetheless, there is a startling lack of substance on most schedules.
There is hope at Barrington Stage company in Pittsfield, MA with “Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground.” The work, which plays in June, is a one man play starring John Rubenstein which has been touring the country.
One suspects it will include the military-industrial complex speech made by our 34th president in his farewell address. But that speech was made in 1961. It’s been over 60 years and that lesson should have been learned by now.
Also on the Barrington Stage Company schedule is the musical “Camelot,” which is closely associated with the JFK presidency. It too is 65 years old, as it premiered in 1960.
It seems to me what we’re talking about is nostalgia, not political commentary.
A musical that might refresh the public’s idea of the intent of our Founding Fathers is “1776.” The work that emphasizes the need for compromise, a forgotten art, will be offered by Home Made Theatre this July. But, cutting-edge it isn’t. Indeed, except for the song “Molasses to Rum” it’s pretty wishy-washy on the topic of slavery.
At Shakespeare & Company the two plays written by the Bard are “Romeo & Juliet” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” Missing are works like “Coriolanus” and “Julius Caesar” with strong political undercurrents, or the Richards’ or Henrys’ plays about flawed monarchies.
This is not a criticism of the scheduling. Many artistic directors have, with good reason, come to the belief that the community is best served with work that lessens the tensions we live with on a daily basis. Indeed, a lot of work is dealing with social issues instead of political issues.
Shakespeare & Company is offering “The Piano Lesson” in what appears to be a continuing commitment to the plays of August Wilson. It takes place in 1936 and concerns a Black family’s debate over the sale of a piano that represents their heritage.
On May 31-June 1, at Universal Preservation Hall, Troy Foundry Theatre is offering a new work titled “Antonio: Or What I Would.” Co-written and performed by local actor Shayne David Cameris it explores the self-reflection of an actor about his own sexuality after playing a gay character in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.”
Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill is producing “Mary Jane” this May. It deals with the moral agony of a woman in her 30s raising a child born with “multiple catastrophic disorders”. It has been described as “the death of the self in the love of one’s child.” The parenting dilemma is illuminated by the experiences of eight other women. Clearly this is not escapist drama.
The fall season also focuses on social issues rather than the political. The Rep opens with “Becky Nurse of Salem,” by the always provocative Sarah Ruhl. It uses a descendant of Rebecca Nurse who was hung as a witch during the Salem trials. Tending towards the satirical, the work shows the plight of women has changed only slightly in the past 400 years.
However “Archduke,” by the edgy playwright Rajiv Joseph, offers some hope. It’s a dark comedy about the person who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand which ignited World War I. Joseph takes an absurdist look at the young man’s motives for the action, and not surprisingly they look rather familiar.
The bottom line is that area theater companies are doing what responsible theater companies should - take care of the bottom line.
The upcoming summer season is not for political junkies, but it certainly will offer many pleasant hours of entertainment.
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
