"We wanted to deal with topics as current as possible," theater lecturer Christian Kohn, who directed the play, said. "It becomes a vital piece of theater and not a museum piece."
Conceived by Kohn and theater professor Jamie Horton, "Breaking E.D.E.N." follows in the tradition of "Waiting for Lefty," a play written by Clifford Odets in 1935.
Horton originally suggested to Kohn that the theater department produce "Waiting for Lefty," which strings together a series of vignettes about cab drivers preparing for a labor strike. Kohn felt the work was too dated and suggested to Horton that they write their own play dealing with current labor issues, particularly the labor strike in Wisconsin.
Like "Waiting for Lefty," "Breaking E.D.E.N." is split into separate vignettes, each dealing with a specific labor issue in America. News stories that inspired the scenes are posted in the lobby of the Warren Bentley Theater, offering the audience a chance to understand the context of the vignettes before attending the show.
Kohn and Horton looked for writers with connections to Dartmouth and who could represent different aspects of America to pen each story.
The first vignette and the backbone of the play is "E.D.E.N. Convention." Written by Kohn, the episode is spread throughout the duration of the performance.
"Convention" concerns itself with the elections for president of the E.D.E.N. labor union, a fictional catch-all labor organization. On one side is the long-serving incumbent, Stanley (Max Samuels '15) who vows to stop governments on every level from cutting worker benefits. His challenger is Angel (Olivia Scott '13), who accuses Stanley of padding his pockets with union dues and chastises the organization for discriminating against minorities. Meanwhile, a disgruntled faction of the union accuses E.D.E.N. of doing more harm than good.
"Convention" was a somewhat awkward framing device. Issues addressed in the vignettes before and after the convention scenes were not usually mentioned. As such, "Convention" failed to offer a clear introduction to or dnouement of each of the situations following or preceding each of its segments. The abrupt characterization change in Stanley towards the end rendered the story even more confusing.
The second vignette, "Me for You," written by Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Joe Sutton '76, centers on a brother and sister who are at odds with each other. Rich (Bill Calder '12 )has lost his blue-collar job and is on his way to a Tea Party rally. His sister Jean, played by Susan Aaluk Edwardson '12, is a unionized teacher who tries to convince Rich not to go.
Diametric opposites always make for good drama, and the setup was an intriguing one. Rich becomes a tragic villain as he progresses from a misguided charlatan to a deeply hurt and sad man with nothing left to lose. The inclusion of Jean's husband Doug (Stewart Towle '12), who sits onstage in a wheelchair for the duration of the action, seemed unnecessary. Doug came off as a child witnessing an argument between parents, and while Doug does speak at the beginning and end of the play, his dialogue has no impact on Rich and Jean's argument and seems tangential to the story.
"Rubber Room," written by Sarah Hughes '07, deals with the New York City school system's controversial institution of rubber rooms places where teachers awaiting administrative action are sent to sit and wait, receiving full pay. Like "E.D.E.N Convention," the vignette is interspersed throughout the play.
Horton contacted Hughes to write a story about teachers' unions. Hughes wrote the play remotely from New York and was assisted by Kohn.
"I did it all remotely, which was a new experience for me," Hughes said. "[I did] not ever have a chance to meet any of the other writers or meet [Horton], but it worked. [Kohn] sent me lots of research because he was compiling huge amounts of research on all the different topics."
"Rubber Room" is almost Beckett-esque, as two of the teachers' administrative hearings are perpetually postponed. The main character, Clay (Aidan Nelson '12), futilely attempts to discover the reason why he's in the rubber room. The vignette is fresh, funny and captivating. Despite being a background character for most of the scene, Luke Katler '15 gives an electrifying performance in the final act as Ben, a teacher sent to the rubber room for disputable reasons.
"Porch Swing" by Tabetha Xavier '10 traces the ramifications of coal mining disasters for families. Gail (Katelyn Onufrey '15), the widow of a miner killed in an explosion, is offered a settlement for her husband's death. Her husband's mother, grandmother and sister all have differing opinions on accepting the money.
Zach Wood '13 plays multiple roles in "Breaking E.D.E.N.," but shines here as the company attorney who desperately tries to get the family to agree to a settlement. The dynamic between the three women is interesting and emotionally varied. Onufrey is sublime as Gail, the grieving widow. Although Onufrey doesn't have many lines, her sad examination of her husband's personal effects is heartbreaking. Despite the emotional impact of the story, the vignette's abrupt ending feels like a cop-out.
"Oil Can Eddie," written by notable author and former Montgomery Fellow Alex Kotlowitz is arguably the best of the vignettes. As the title character, Towle gives the play's strongest performance. His portrayal of a steel worker who rises to become a powerful union leader is convincing and captivating.
In contrast, "Bruised" by Danny Rangel '09 offers a far less engaging protagonist. The main character, Rocio (Charlyn Brea '12), is unlikable and even comes off as the villain in contrast to the reasonable foreman Benito (Jaymes Sanchez '13). Benito's legitimate objections to Rocio's illegal status are unfairly ignored. Most of Rocio's dialogue is in Spanish, which becomes confusing as the audience relies on Benito's responses to understand her speech.
"Tables and Chairs" by Lou-Lou Igbokwe '10 focuses on the plight of black workers in a furniture factory. They are underpaid and only work the night shift, which leads Marcus, one of the workers, to organize against management with largely unsuccessful results.
As Marcus, Ryan Williams French '12 gave the most human portrayal of a character in the show. Though Marcus is ambitious and wants a better life for himself and his co-workers, he is short-tempered and seems not to think things through. French manifests these flaws beautifully and creates the most vivid performance.
"Breaking E.D.E.N." doesn't provide answers to the questions or dilemmas it poses, but that's the point. The play is meant to inspire audience members to think about the current and future state of labor relations in America. Though uneven in some parts, when "E.D.E.N." is at its best, it's truly paradise.
