SOTU Program Cover for my printer.pub - Lex

Lex-Ham Community Theater and
Sweet Charities Theatre Company
Present
Directed by John Townsend
June 20, 21, 22 & June 26, 27, 28, 2008
at the Paul & Sheila Wellstone Center
179 Robie Street East, St. Paul, Minnesota
Proceeds benefit the Minnesota Chapter of the National Organization for Women.
WE DON’T EXPECT
EVERYONE TO JOIN NOW,
JUST THE MILLIONS WHO BELIEVE
IN WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Minnesota NOW
550 Rice Street, #102
St. Paul, MN 55103
[email protected]
www.mnnow.org
June 2008
Thank you for joining us for this performance of State of the Union. I hope that your interest was
piqued by the fact that proceeds from the show’s run will benefit the Minnesota chapter of the
National Organization for Women. If you’re simply a fan of excellent community theater here for an
entertaining and thought-provoking show, here’s a short primer on who we are and what we do.
This state’s NOW chapter was formed in 1971. Our mission is to take action to bring women into full
equality with men. Our members are women and men across the state who support the following core
values:
1. ratification of an unamended Equal Rights Amendment
2. repeal of all laws restricting safe, legal abortion
3. protection of lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender civil rights
4. eliminating racism
5. freedom from violence
6. opposition to punitive welfare reform
In 2008 alone, we were proud co-sponsors of the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade event that brought
former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders to Minneapolis. Our Minnesota Valley chapter
organized V-Day Prior Lake featuring two performances of The Vagina Monologues which raised
thousands of dollars for a local women’s shelter. Our State Conference in April was sponsored by the
Fergus Falls Area NOW chapter and brought together activists and historians to discuss the
immigration issues that affect small communities. Two of our state board members were re-elected to
represent our region in Washington DC on NOW’s National Board. This fall will be even more
exciting as our Political Action Committee vets candidates for our endorsement, and our members get
involved supporting our endorsees’ campaigns.
We welcome you to learn more about us tonight—Minnesota NOW volunteers are available to tell
you more about membership. In addition, our website has detailed information about our mission, our
leadership, and features a calendar of upcoming events. Please give it a visit: www.mnnow.org. We
appreciate your support!
For equality,
Shannon Drury
Minnesota NOW President
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
When we revive a play from decades past, we benefit from what has surfaced since then. Ironically, regarding a play about political
underhandedness, today's theater can draw from all kinds of ugly recent examples to get creative juices flowing.
On a brighter note, we can also draw from what we've learned about gender. When State of the Union was first produced in late 1945, it
was four years before such seminal feminist works as Simone De Beauvoir's The Second Sex, 17 years before Doris Lessing's The
Golden Notebook, and 18 before Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique.
Though State of the Union was written by two men, it was with a definite sympathetic eye to protagonist, Mary Matthews. Remember that
feminist icon Katherine Hepburn played Mary in the 1948 film version. Indeed, Mary exemplifies a socio-political consciousness that runs
wider and deeper than any of the other characters in this predominantly male play. Spike McManus comes close and her husband Grant
struggles toward the light, so to speak. But then, so does Mary. However, she does so with deliberate intentionality.
She's imperfect but fiercely ethical. She seems to be semiconsciously tempering her tendency toward self-righteousness. Though she has
not articulated it as a realized philosophy, Mary's extraordinary depth of understanding is right there in the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning
text by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay.
State of the Union is set is 1945, when divorce was rare and stigmatized and courts were prone to rule against women. So it's easy to
see why Mary is so outraged and trapped by Grant's infidelity. The notion of an open, non-monogamous marriage was unthinkable or
obscene then. Hence, Mary soldiers on in a hailstorm of white male privilege run amok, political ambition, and self-doubt. (The notion of a
black or female President would have been laughed at.)
It's also the year of troops returning from World War II and women from the factory. It's the dawn of modern Suburbia. Youthful hope,
idealism, and exuberance are palpable. The Best Years of Our Lives would become the movie of 1946. The old liberal guard was waning,
as is reflected in the play's harsh look at ruthless union boss, John Lewis. The beloved President Franklin Roosevelt had died that spring
in his unprecedented fourth term. And but four months later, Harry Truman dropped A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Democrats
had ruled for a generation. So there was anxiety in the air as well, if not some guilt and fear for the future.
State of the Union also relates to now. Grant dares to ask that both unions and business open their books, just as today there are cries
for private government-funded contractors like Blackwater and Halliburton to open their books. Not to mention foreign governments that
have perennially received nontransparent U.S. military aid, like Israel and Egypt. When you hear Sam Parrish's lines, consider such
contemporary parallels.
One of the play's most salient moments is when Mary calls the voting public itself on the carpet. Sure, you can legitimately blame
politicians and media, but it's individual voters who must take government into their own hands, no matter how tired or discouraged they
may be. They must learn how government works and make time and effort to educate themselves about not just a few, but many
complex issues. And reach out to others openly, even if it's outside one's comfort zone. Mary calls us to transcend our mediocrity, to be
bigger people than we think we are.
-John Townsend
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STATE OF THE UNION
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AMERICAN POLITICS IN THE 1940s
The play, State of the Union, opened in New York in November 1945 at a time of great excitement and change in the United
States. The wars in Europe and the Pacific had ended earlier that year. Franklin Roosevelt, who had been President since
1933, died in April 1945 raising the very untested and folksy Harry Truman to the Presidency. Howard Lindsay and Russel
Crouse wrote State of the Union knowing that the audience members of the day would easily understand the references, jokes,
and allusions made by the political insiders and activists in the play.
To help audiences of 2008 understand a few of those many references, here are a few quick summaries:
William Jennings Bryan – Bryan was a lawyer, congressman, and the Democratic Party candidate for
President in 1896, 1900, and 1904, but lost each time. He was famous during his lifetime as a gifted
speaker especially when speaking against alcohol, imperialism, and Darwinism. His “Cross of Gold”
speech during the 1896 Democratic National Convention is often included in the list of great American
speeches.
Bill Green – Green was president of the American Federation of Labor from 1924 to 1952.
Frank Hague – Hague was the Democratic mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1917 to 1947. His administration had a
reputation for strong political organization, but also corruption and bribery.
John L. Lewis – Lewis was the president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960. He was
one of the leaders in starting the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Lewis was considered a powerful
speaker and was offered (though he declined the offer) the position of Secretary of Labor in the Calvin
Coolidge administration.
Walter Lippmann – Lippmann was a writer, columnist, and presidential advisor for much of the 20th century
until his death in 1974. He helped found the New Republic Magazine and wrote the nationally syndicated newspaper column,
“Today and Tomorrow” for the New York Herald-Tribune for decades – often on political themes and opposition to
Communism. His column eventually won for him two Pulitzer prizes.
Phil Murray – Murray was the first president of the United Steelworkers of America and the longestserving president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations. He was especially active during World War
II with business and government leaders to ensure that unions helped with the increased production
demands due to the war. After the war, Murray took the lead on several high profile strikes.
Drew Pearson – Pearson was a Washington-based investigative reporting columnist whose column
“Washington Merry-Go-Round" was nationally syndicated. His column took on many of the country’s
most powerful individuals, including General George Patton and Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Westbrook Pegler – Pegler was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist for much of the first half of the 20th
century. Born in Minneapolis, he moved to Chicago writing for the Tribune. In 1941, he won a Pulitzer Prize for
exposing corruption in the Hollywood labor unions.
Walter Reuther – Reuther was a labor union leader for the United Auto Workers and later for the Congress of Industrial
Organizations. He led major successful strikes for union recognition against General Motors in 1940 and Ford in 1941.
(Continued on next page)
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Harold Stassen – Stassen was Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943. In 1940, being viewed as a rising
star in the Republican Party, he delivered the keynote address at the 1940 Republican National Convention.
Stassen remained active in the Republican party for decades and ran for many political offices, including the
Presidency nine times.
Herbert Bayard Swope – Swope was a reporter during World War I and later editor of the New York World. He was the first
recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Reporting in 1917.
Wendell Wilkie – Wilkie was the Republican’s truly dark-horse candidate for President in 1940. Going into the
June convention Robert Taft, Arthur Vandenberg, and Thomas E. Dewey were the three front runners, but none
of them had enough delegates to get the nomination. Wilkie was an industrialist who had never before run for
public office, but had gained national attention by his opposition to some of Roosevelt’s New Deal programs
which he felt were unfairly competing against private companies. At the Philadelphia convention, there erupted
a sudden ground-swell of support – including from Minnesota’s Harold Stassen – for Wilkie, who got the
nomination. Wilkie, despite getting the most votes up to that time for a Republican, lost the Presidential
election as Roosevelt got his third term.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations – The American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded in
1886, was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)
started as some unions within the AFL in 1935 as the Committee for Industrial Organization whose mission was to encourage
the AFL, which focused on craft-based unions, to organize unions in mass production industries. In 1938, these unions split
acrimoniously from the AFL to form a separate rival organization, the CIO. The two organizations fought bitterly until they
decided to come together again in 1955 as the combined AFL-CIO.
America First Committee – The America First Committee was an organization formed in 1940 promoting defending America
and opposing entering into World War II. It was a loosely run and highly decentralized organization whose goals attracted a
number of businessmen, political figures, and celebrities – most notably Charles Lindberg. People active in the organization
were often referred to as Isolationists or America Firsters.
BookBook-Cadillac Hotel – The Book-Cadillac Hotel, designed by architect Louis Kamper, has long been cited as one of the
architectural gems in Detroit. When it opened in 1924, it was the tallest hotel in the world. The hotel fell victim to the Great
Depression, changed ownership in the 1930s, and underwent several remodeling projects in hopes of keeping it profitable.
Foreign Policy Association – The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) is an organization founded in 1923 and is “dedicated to
inspiring the American public to learn more about the world.”. In the 1940s, the FPA begin a series of talks and speeches
broadcast over the radio on topics of international affairs.
Hatch Act of 1939 – The Hatch Act, named for its chief sponsor Senator Carl Hatch of New Mexico, primarily focused on
restricting the political activities of Federal employees. The Act was passed to address allegations that Federal employees had
misused Works Progress Administration funds during election seasons during the 1930s. An 1940 amendment to the Act set
an annual ceiling of $3 million for political parties' campaign expenditures and $5,000 for individual campaign contributions.
Information Please – Information Please was a radio quiz show that was broadcast from 1938 to 1948. On the show listeners
would submit questions to be answered by a panel of celebrities. If the panel was stumped, the listener would win money.
One frequent panelist was John Kieran, a sports writer for the New York Times, who was noted for his wit and extensive
knowledge in many subject areas.
TaftTaft-Hartley Act – The legislative act, named for its sponsors, Senator Robert Taft and Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr., and
passed in 1947, greatly restricted the activities of labor unions. The act restricted union strikes and added a list of “unfair
labor practices” on the part of unions. The bill was passed in the environment of a large number of long labor strikes in the
1940s.
SPECIAL THANKS
Kathy Super • St. Paul Public Library • Lyngblomsten Center
Macalester-Plymouth United Church • Saint Paul Academy and Summit School
This production has been made through special arrangements with Dramatists Play Service.
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State of the Union
by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay
Act I
Scene 1: The study in James Conover’s home in Washington, D.C., 1945.
Scene 2: A bedroom in the Conover home. The following evening.
Act II
The living room of a suite in the Book-Cadillac Hotel, Detroit. Several weeks later.
10-minute intermission
Act III
Scene 1: The living room of the Matthews apartment in New York. Two weeks later.
Scene 2: The same. An hour later.
Cast Members
Character in play ........................................................................................................................ Actor
James Conover ............................................................................................................. Frank Blomgren
Spike McManus ............................................................................................................. Mark Margolis
Katherine Thorndike ...................................................................................................... Lynne Vannelli
Grant Matthews ...................................................................................................................Stuart Alger
Norah .........................................................................................................................Natalie Westreich
Mary Matthews ................................................................................................................Sasha Wallach
Stevens ............................................................................................................................Richard Daly
Bellman ..................................................................................................................................Dan Dyke
Waitress ...................................................................................................................Shelley Eichenlaub
Sam Parrish ...................................................................................................................... Paul McGlynn
Swenson ..............................................................................................................................Brian Casey
Judge Jefferson Davis Alexander ......................................................................................David Schliep
Lulubelle Alexander ..........................................................................................................Lana Rosario
Jenny ................................................................................................................................. Tara Nielson
Grace Draper ..............................................................................................................Natalie Westreich
William Hardy .................................................................................................................Michael Freier
Senator Lauterback ....................................................................................................... John Eichenlaub
Labor Representatives .....................................................Tom Kelly, Bob McDonald, Aaron Wlaschlin
Reporters.......................................................................................................Jeremy Stahl, Dionne King
Production Team
Director.......................................................................................................................... John Townsend
Stage Manager.................................................................................................................... Tara Nielson
Assistant Director/Movement Coach .............................................................................. Jennifer Amaya
Set Designer ...................................................................................................................... Dutton Foster
Costume Designers.................................................................................... Wendi Johnson, Terri Winter
Costumer...........................................................................................................................Patricia Eaves
Props Coordinator ............................................................................................................ Jennifer Nagel
Technical Crew .......................................................................................... James Malek, Lindsey Olsen
Stage Crew......................................................................................................................... Kate Willard
Producer..................................................................................................................... Urban Landreman
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CAST AND CREW
Stuart Alger (Grant Matthews) Stuart grew up in community theater and, as a Lex-Ham resident, was overjoyed when the Lex-Ham
Community Theater was launched. Stuart performed in the Lex-Ham Community Theater's 2000 production of Bullets and Beauties, and the
one-acts A Woman Without a Name, Through a Glass Darkly, and Rise and Shine. In 2001, Stuart was a whaler and a sailor in the Como
Lakeside Community Theatre's production of Carousel. Most recently, he and his son Jack performed together in the IHM-St. Luke's
production of Beauty and the Beast. Stuart is chair of the St. Paul DFL, which has made the role of Grant Matthews particularly challenging.
Jennifer Amaya (Movement Coach and Assistant Director) Jennifer returns to Lex-Ham Community Theater in a new role. Previously, she has
appeared in three Lex-Ham productions, as a narrator in Beakers, as Maria in The Memorandum and as Anna Paulanski in There's Talk in
Town. Jennifer has also recently appeared in Leili Pritchett's show Hidden Yearning at Intermedia Arts and St. Anthony Village Community
Theater's production of Fiddler on the Roof. Jennifer would like to thank John Munger for sharing his wisdom in dance, director John
Townsend for his generous spirit, infinite knowledge and patience, and her husband for helping her conduct hands-on research on the many
drinks mentioned in State of the Union.
Frank Blomgren (James Conover) This is the fourth time around at Lex-Ham for Frank, as he circles the bases. He has also appeared with
Lakeshore Players, Heritage, Corcoran Park, The Chameleon Theatre Circle, and Sweet Charities. Special thanks to the ever gracious Jen for
putting up with his back-to-back shows, and to his daughter, Vanessa, the die hard Democrat for putting up with his Republican characters of
late.
Brian Casey (Swenson) This is Brian's second production with the Lex-Ham Community Theater. His previous role was that of Gross in The
Memorandum. Special thanks to his parents for all the support and for teaching him to think for myself.
Richard Daly (Stevens) Richard began acting for and on his 60th birthday. Since then he has appeared in Fools and The Madwoman of
Chaillot at Theatre in the Round, There's Talk in Town at Lex-Ham Theater, Next for Wide Variety Theatre and Seven Brides for Seven
Brothers at Heritage Theater Company.
Dan Dyke (Bellman) State of the Union marks Dan's return to the theatre after a two year absence while serving our country in Iraq. Some of
his favorite roles include Paul in The Marriage of Bette & Boo, Lucas in The Physician In Spite of Himself, Inspector Craddock in A Murder is
Announced, and Sidney Lipton in God's Favorite. State of the Union is Dan's first production with Lex-Ham and he hopes to work with the
company again. Dan is getting married in the fall to Candace Lafontaine!
John Eichenlaub (Senator Lauterback) John recently moved back to Minnesota after a seven-year stint in the Badger State, where he was
involved in the community theatre scene. He is pleased to join Lex-Ham for this production and would like to thank his wife, Shelley, for her
unending love and support.
Shelley Eichenlaub (Waitress) This is Shelley's Minnesota stage debut. Having moved to St. Paul with her husband John a year ago, Shelley
could previously be seen in several community theater productions in Madison, Wisconsin. Her favorite rolls include Scarecrow in The Wizard
of Oz, the role of the Mother in The Bad Seed, and a warrior princess in Michelangelo Renaissance P.I. Shelley is delighted to begin her Twin
Cities theater adventures with Lex-Ham.
Dutton Foster (Set Designer) As a child of twelve or so, Dutton Foster built an elaborate puppet theater complete with footlights and a fancy
act curtain, intended for puppet shows he never actually produced. After a sporadic acting career that began by playing Lady Macbeth in
grade nine at St. Paul Academy and ended after graduate school, Dutton has directed, designed, and built well over a hundred high-school
and middle school shows since 1961. Since retirement from teaching English and drama at SPA, he has continued to design and build sets
for five school shows a year as well as several Lex-Ham productions. Dutton has several melodramas (including a musical) in publication, as
well as a one-act entitled Our Rotten Town, which imports Shakespearean characters into a small American town. Dutton and his wife enjoy
birding and other gentle outdoor pursuits; he is also hooked on trains, model building, landscape painting, and bluegrass. He volunteers for
Habitat for Humanity one day a week with the St. Paul Regulars.
Michael Freier (William Hardy) This is Michael's first role with Lex-Ham. He has appeared in two productions with Theatre in the Round in
Minneapolis, most recently in The Madwoman of Chaillot in 2007. He has also appeared in some of his own comic sketches and has written
several full length plays, including The Jimmy Swagger Hour, The Net, and The Husband from Outer Space.
Wendi Johnson (Costume Designer) Wendi is working on her first Lex-Ham Theater production with State of the Union. She is excited to be
able to work with so many costumes from the 1940s - one of the golden ages of fashion design. Wendi would like to give a special thanks to
her mother for teaching her how to sew on her first button.
Tom Kelly (Labor Representative) Tom has enjoyed taking many Lex-Ham sponsored acting classes from John Townsend. This marks his
second appearance in a Lex-Ham production. His debut in the spotlight was as Froggy in There's Talk In Town. This role of labor leader is a
particularly natural fit. Tom is a registered nurse at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. Each election cycle, as chair of the
Minnesota Nurses Association's PAC, he is busy scrutinizing candidates seeking the union's endorsement. He says it's important work but
always he'd rather be in a theatre somewhere watching our great local talent making magic.
(Continued on next page)
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CAST AND CREW (continued)
(Continued from previous page)
Mark Margolis (Spike McManus) Mark has appeared in many different community theatre productions over the years, and this marks his
third such with Lex Ham. Mark is also founder and artistic director of Sweet Charities Theatre Company, and usually avoids anything
political!!!
Bob McDonald (Labor Representative) Bob is in his first Lex-Ham production. His previous theater performances have been as one of the
'Keystone Kops' in the Children's Theater Production, Reeling, and as 'Mr. Prescott' in the Como Community Theater Production of The Love
Boat. Bob has gotten involved in the Lex-Ham play readings series and has also appeared in several Independent Films through Walden
Entertainment, as well as its affiliate, 'Wazoo TV'. Bob is a volunteer at KFAI - Fresh Air Community Radio.
Paul McGlynn (Sam Parrish) Paul McGlynn has acted with Lakeshore Players, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Theatre in the Round, Minnesota
Fringe Festival, Starting Gate and Mound Theater. This is his second show with Lex-Ham. Paul lives in Minneapolis and teaches at Sobriety
High School.
Tara Nielson (Stage Manager and Jenny) Tara has stage managed several of Lex-Ham's shows in the past few years. She has enjoyed the
experience of working with so many talented people. Tara wishes to thank the amazing cast and crew, and of course John, for the
opportunity to be a part of this wonderful production.
Lana Rosario (Lulubelle Alexander) State of the Union is Lana's first show with the Lex-Ham Community Theater. She has also appeared in
other area community shows, such as Lucy in Dracula and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. When not performing or working, you will
usually find Lana reading, cooking, or overhauling her garden.
David Schliep (Judge Jefferson Davis Alexander) David is back on the Lex-Ham Community Theater stage having appeared in The
Philadelphia Story, I Never Sang For My Father, and The Solid Gold Cadillac. He has performed with many other Twin Cities theaters and the
Red Wing Summer Theater. A few roles included Constable Warren in Theater in the Round's Our Town and Charlie in Starting Gate's Death
Of A Salesman. When he's not on stage, David can often be found in the tech booth doing sound design.
Jeremy Stahl (Reporter) Jeremy is a veteran of countless classes offered through the Lex-Ham program and is pleased to join some of his
fellow students on stage (for the first time in quite a number of years). During his free time he can be found on a tennis court or at the
Chianti Grill. Jeremy lives in St. Paul with his wife and three feline friends.
John Townsend (Director) John has directed productions of Sylvia, There's Talk in Town, Rise and Shine, and his adaptation of The Trojan
Women for Lex-Ham. He served for over a dozen years on the Minnesota Association of Community Theaters (MACT) Board and for two terms
as its President. He currently serves on the Lex-Ham Community Arts Boards and teaches some of their acting classes in conjunction with St.
Paul Public Schools Community Education. John has written on theater extensively and his by line has been seen in the Star Tribune and
Lavender Magazine, among other publications. He holds a BA from the University of Minnesota in English and Theater Arts and a Postgraduate Certificate in Drama from the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, London. John also directed the Paul Wellstone Street
Theater in Wellstone's 1990 campaign.
Lynne Vannelli (Kay Thorndyke) Lynne is excited to be playing a 1940's character, Kay Thorndyke. This is Lynne's second Lex-Ham
production having performed as Liz in Waterbabies in 2002. Thanks to her family and friends for their support as she embarks on yet
another journey. Yum! Sazaracs!!
Natalie Westreich (Norah and Grace Draper) Natalie is delighted to return working with Lex-Ham since appearing as Lottie in Tally and Son.
She has been seen on various community theater stages in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area including Minnesota Singer's Theater, Park
Players, Morris Park Players, Center Stage, First Covenant Community Theater, and the RCTC Theater Company. Natalie greatly appreciates
the support and cooperation of her husband, Gil.
Terri Winter (Costume Design) Terri is back for her second Lex-Ham show. She has been sewing since before she could drive (she's not
telling us how many years that is!) and has made custom outfits for weddings, graduations, and proms. Terri has also run a business making
sails for ships if you're planning a production of Moby Dick, Treasure Island, or Mutiny on the Bounty.
Sasha Walloch (Mary Matthews) Sasha is very happy to be working with John Townsend and the talented cast and crew here at Lex-Ham.
She specialized in physical theatre performance for her BA in Theatre Arts at the University of Minnesota. Recent roles include Isabella in
Measure for Measure with Nightpath Theatre Co., Personal Effects performance at Pangea World Theater, and Simone in Been So Long with
The Brink. Future projects include The Chasm for the 2008 Fringe Festival and Commedia Beauregard's second annual, original work, The
Klingon Christmas Carol, coming this December to the Wellstone Center.
Aaron Wlaschin (Labor Representative) This is Aaron’s third show with the Lex-Ham Theater. He previously appeared as Buster Winslow in
2007’s There’s Talk In Town, and earlier this year as Otto Stroll in The Memorandum. Between his daily work of fermenting yogurt and
nightly community theatre he is a very cultured guy.
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