Spring Break
'Stuff Happens' forces theatergoers to think
Christian Hays
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The moral blindness of power is the theme of David Hare's history narrative, "Stuff Happens," which was spring experimental play on the Main campus. Strong acting and a funny yet terrifying storyline makes this a fascinating and worthwhile play to watch, especially since its main characters still play a crucial leadership role in American life.
"Stuff Happens" takes place between 2001 and 2003, as it follows the events leading up to the invasion of Iraq. Hare pays special attention to the roles of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the two characters most reluctant about their countries going to war. The tension between these characters and President George Bush and his chief advisers including Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld creates the energy that drives the play.
Hare isn't trying to blame anyone for the Iraq war, but his intention is to explore the effects of a tragic series of events still going on. As director Bob Mundhenk says in his director's notes, Hare is concerned with the distance that exists between political leaders and those affected by their decisions. Leaders decide and people far away die as a result.
Mundhenk effectively uses the intimacy of the Lab Theatre in Kopecek Hall. The audience is only a few feet away from the actors, which makes the audience feel closer to the story. Mundhenk deliberately avoided having his actors` impersonate the main characters, such as Bush, Blair and Cheney, so that the focus was more on their decisions than their mannerisms. The director chose actors who looked and sounded like the characters they portrayed and interacted with one another in a believable way.
The cast is exceptional. Especially good are DeShawn McIntyre as Powell, Kent Quain (Cheney), D.J. Simmons (Rumsfeld), Richard Nazzaro (Bush), Brandon Lay (Blair), Precious Coleman (in a variety of Roles), and Ebony Hardin (National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice) were all convincing, but Craig Mahlman as French Foreign Minister De Villepin was a standout whenever he was on stage.
"Stuff Happens" takes place between 2001 and 2003, as it follows the events leading up to the invasion of Iraq. Hare pays special attention to the roles of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the two characters most reluctant about their countries going to war. The tension between these characters and President George Bush and his chief advisers including Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld creates the energy that drives the play.
Hare isn't trying to blame anyone for the Iraq war, but his intention is to explore the effects of a tragic series of events still going on. As director Bob Mundhenk says in his director's notes, Hare is concerned with the distance that exists between political leaders and those affected by their decisions. Leaders decide and people far away die as a result.
Mundhenk effectively uses the intimacy of the Lab Theatre in Kopecek Hall. The audience is only a few feet away from the actors, which makes the audience feel closer to the story. Mundhenk deliberately avoided having his actors` impersonate the main characters, such as Bush, Blair and Cheney, so that the focus was more on their decisions than their mannerisms. The director chose actors who looked and sounded like the characters they portrayed and interacted with one another in a believable way.
The cast is exceptional. Especially good are DeShawn McIntyre as Powell, Kent Quain (Cheney), D.J. Simmons (Rumsfeld), Richard Nazzaro (Bush), Brandon Lay (Blair), Precious Coleman (in a variety of Roles), and Ebony Hardin (National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice) were all convincing, but Craig Mahlman as French Foreign Minister De Villepin was a standout whenever he was on stage.
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