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| 'On a Darkling Plain' |
| [Theater review] The pain of McCarthyism and its contradictions. |
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Jay Hauben (jhauben)  |
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Published 2007-01-24 14:22 (KST) |
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"On a Darkling Plain," a new play opened Jan. 12 at the Turtle Shell
Theater in New York City. Written and Directed by Norman Beim, the play
is an emotionally powerful examination of a question that arose out of
a previous dark time in U.S. history known as McCarthyism. A little background is necessary to understand the play.
During the Second World War the U.S. and the Soviet Union were allies.
In the mid to late 1940s, U.S. foreign policy shifted from this
alliance against Nazism to an effort to contain or roll back the areas
of Soviet influence. Accompanying this shift was a campaign, especially
by U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy, to raise the specter of a widespread
infiltration of U.S. society by Soviet agents and sympathizers.
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FROM THE SECTION |
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| McCarthyism
was the time for more than 10 years when U.S. politics and society fell
into an irrational and intense anti-communism. Thousands of Americans
were accused often on little or no evidence of being Communist Party
members or supporters, especially people who were government employees,
in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. The
government via hearings and the press via sensationalizing the
hearings, helped to cause many of these people to lose their jobs,
their careers and sometimes their freedom or lives.
A particular example of McCarthyism was the harassment of film and
theater people especially those with a social perspective. In that
category were the playwright Arthur Miller
and the director Elia Kazan who were close friends and colleagues. In
1952 both Miller and Kazan were summoned to appear before the U.S.
House of Representatives' Un-American Activities Committee, HUAC. They
each acknowledged their attraction for a short time, over 15 years
earlier to join or be close to the Communist Party.
To prove that they were now loyal Americans, HUAC offered both the chance to " name names"
of colleagues who had been similarly involved. Otherwise, the
entertainment industry should distrust their loyalty and deny them any
employment ("blacklist" them). Miller refused the offer. Kazan
eventually identified eight people he said had been members of the
Communist Party with him in the mid-1930s. All were eventually
blacklisted. For 12 years after that Miller and Kazan did not speak to
each other.
In 1963 Miller and Kazan accepted to work together on Miller's play
"After the Fall" as a first season offering at Lincoln Center in New
York. The reconciliation between the two was unexpected and puzzling
for those who had suffered because of Kazan's testimony
That brings us back to Norman Beim's fine play.
The play is set in 1964. McCarthyism has waned. Guy Leonard (Tom
Sminkey), a brilliant Broadway and film actor has been driving a taxi
for the last 12 years. He has not had an acting job since George
Makapolous (Jon Freda) named him as a communist. Those have been 12
rough years. His family was ostracized by neighbors. His children were
harassed at school. Guy and his wife Miriam (Joan Barber) remember
friends, similarly named, who became alcoholics or died by suicide.
They hate George for what he did to them and to others by choosing
loyalty to a false cause, anti-communism, rather than to his socially
conscious friends.
Miriam informs Guy at breakfast that their son has been accepted to
Harvard and that George Makapolous has called to ask to come over and
talk to them. Where will the Leonards get the money for Harvard? And
what should be done about George's request? Miriam already told George
to come over.
Miriam says they should hear what George has to say. Guy says "never."
After all he has done to people. It would be an insult to those people
to let George into their home. George deserves their hatred. He should
have thought about that when he decided to save his own career.
George arrives. Miriam and Guy are cold and Guy tries to drive George
away. George has no apology. He defends his action on the principles he
held then. He too has suffered. He has a role for Guy in a play written
by a person modeled on Arthur Miller. A movie role will follow.
At the same time, a family friend of Miriam, Jerry Miller (Bristol
Pomeroy) arrives to offer Guy a chance to audition to make TV
commercials for a famous brand of toilet paper. Guy is tempted by the
possibility to act again, to make some money and not to have to work
with George. He goes for the audition.
The rest of the play resolves around the hard question, is it time and
is it right for reconciliation? Should Guy's talents be expended on TV
commercials so as not to compromise his disgust at what George did?
Miriam threatens to leave Guy. Guy is torn.
The actors bring passion to the question and the audience feels the
reality of the contradiction. The play ends with Guy accepting the role
in the play to be directed by George. The playwright wants the ending
to be on a positive note.
The play, the acting, the stage setting, the comfortable theater all added to make the evening a worthwhile experience
Norman Beim, the playwright commented in an interview
that he was also an actor and loved acting. Guy will be able to act
again. But, Beim tells us, we should not forget the damage done. "On a
Darkling Plain" is a result of his indignation at the injustice of the
blacklist at that terrible time. "I did quite a bit of research on the
subject," he said, "and my heart went out to those victims." He added,
"Those dark days are once again upon us. . . .(P)eople in prison for
long periods of time with no trial, no evidence, only suspicion.
Torture, et al."
For this reviewer, the play was a lesson about dark times and the great
pain they inflict. Dark times may pass but the pain and the harm done
during them leaves deep scars in a society. |
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ON A DARKLING PLAIN
CAST : Tom Sminkey, Joan Barber, Jon Freda, Bristol Pomeroy
PLAYWRIGHT and DIRECTOR: Norman Beim
VENUE: Turtle Shell Productions, 300 West 43rd Street, 4th Floor
OPENED: January 12, 2007, CLOSES: January 27, 2007
SETS: Ryan Scott
LIGHTING: Lisa Weinshrott and Michael L. Kimmel
COSTUMES: A. Christina Giannini
SOUND: Sarah Ibrahim
STAGE MANAGER: TaShawn "Pope" Jackson
PRODUCING COMPANY: Turtle Shell Productions -- John W. Cooper Artistic Director
PERFORMANCES: Wed -- Sat at 8pm; Sat at 2pm; plus Jan 22 at 7pm
RUNNING TIME: 2 hours, 10 minutes |
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©2007 OhmyNews
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