Power: A Federal Theatre Project Living Newspaper

Power: A Federal Theatre Project Living Newspaper was presented as part of the fall, 1999 season at Bowling Green State University. The selection of Power into this particular slot was very well timed, if for no other reason than events leading up to the rolling blackouts that hit the western United States in the following months were reaching their conclusion.

One of the factors in choosing the script was the space in which we were to perform.  The Joe E. Brown Theatre was a small proscenium theatre with limited fly-space. The entire budget for shows in that space was limited to $600. I thought that Power would work very well with minimal scenery and simple lighting. Further, although the script originally called for over a hundred cast members, I felt that it was ideal for a much smaller ensemble.  With the early members of the production team  I adapted it to an ensemble of about fifteen.

The minimal approach made it critical for the actors to understand and envision the environment in which each scene took place. The exception to the rule proved to be the traditional Living Newspaper character of The Loudspeaker.  In my early thoughts, I wanted him or her to appear on stage with or without a microphone. At one point, I thought about having the performer use a bullhorn or a megaphone a la a circus ringmaster.  In the early process through, it became that it would have clashed with the minimalist elements on stage.  For various reasons, a physical speaker was impractical, so instead the loudspeaker became a light fixture located downstage center and the cast was encouraged to interact with that unit as appropriate.

Continuity between scenes was another issue in that there were somewhat unconventional shifts in time and place which were somewhat problematic from a the perspective of telling a story.  I had originally planned on using recorded music to help establish time and place. I became uncomfortable with this idea after I realized that they might clash aesthetically with the minimal set and costumes in a manner similar to that of my early notions for the loudspeaker.  The casting of a very talented guitar player made if possible for us to use live musical in lieu of the recordings and really helped maintain the simplicity of the production.

Power is one of a number of the Living Newspapers that remained relevant in terms of content at the time of this production.  In fact it maintains its relevance today, as do at least to others: One Third of a Nation and Spirochete. The trilogy remain on my to-do list as opportunities arise.