February 26 - March 20, 2010
at the Manny Fried Playhouse
 The fourth installment of our annual "Workers' Power Play Series"
HARVEST
by Langston Hughes
Directed by Kurt Schneiderman*
Sponsored by the Western New York Area
Labor Federation
and the Arts Council of Buffalo and Erie County
"[R]ings with
forceful anger in the face of injustice"
-- Colin Dabkowski, GUSTO MAGAZINE 3/5/10
click
here to read this review
"Don't expect
calm, eloquent comment on slavery. Expect harsh words about working
conditions and revolution. Don't expect calm entertainment. Expect
biting political commentary and an out-of-the-ordinary show."
-- Kristen Henry, EXAMINER.COM 3/2/10
click
here to read this review
"[K]udos to the STC
for their enthusiasm, vision, and daring. Union members in attendance
can be proud of their valiant, indispensable predecessors."
-- Grant Golden, BUFFALO RISING MAGAZINE 3/3/10
click
here to read this review
For the fourth installment of our "Workers'
Power Play Series," we were proud to present HARVEST by Langston
Hughes. Written during the master poets' extremely radical phase and
very open involvement with Marxist politics during the Great Depression, HARVEST
is a play based
heavily on the real life events of a strike of migrant farm
workers in southern California in the 1933.
A
prime example of our "Workers' Power Play Series"
mission to keep alive the lessons of workers' struggles past and present --
this production offered a powerful illustration of the need for Black, white,
and Latino workers to overcome their differences and band together against
their mutual exploiters.
In an interesting twist, our production's Director --
Subversive Theatre Founder & Artistic Director Kurt Schneiderman* -- chose
to intersperse the scenes of the play with highly choreographed recitations of
several of Langston Hughes' most radical poems along with classic militant
union ballads performed live by folk guitarists and singers. The result
was powerful blending of drama, poetry, and song into a stirring mosaic of
passion and defiance.
This production was sponsored by the Western New York
Area Labor Federation and the Arts Council of Buffalo and Erie County. An enormous challenge to bring to life on stage, HARVEST featured a
massive ensemble of eighteen actors portraying an epic sweep of scenes
involving extensive picket lines, strike committee meetings, vigilante mobs,
trucks, union halls, strikers' camps, and even huge work details in sprawling
cotton fields. It still seems miraculous that we were able to make it fit
onto our cramped little stage!
Here's the rundown on who did what:
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THE CAST
(in order of appearance)
Daniel Henderson* . . Jose Rodriguez
Dinash Lal* . . Domingo Rodriguez
Angelina Buscaglia . . Millie Rodriguez
Joy Scime* . . Rosita Rodriguez
Rob Dziechciarz . . Adam Dobbs, Ed Lowe
Gabriel Mirizio . . Luther Dobbs, Milt Little
Martha Rothkopf* . . Marty Dobbs
Ryan Berkun . . Shorty Dobbs
Tom Izard* . . Motorcycle Cop, Sheriff
Thomas Brown . . Buster
Cynthia Maxwell* . . Frankie Mae
Hasheen DeBerry* . . Mack Saunders
Dacia Dunnigan . . Ada Walker
Eric Mowery* . . Foreman, others
Guy DeFedericis* . . Seth Floors, Meyers
Gary Darling . . Martin Burtle, Jasper, King
Lawrence Rowswell* . . Harry Tilden, others
Lisa Dee . . Jennie Martin
Musicians . . Jean Dickson*, Keith Woodin
THE CREW
Director . . Kurt Schneiderman*
Stage Manager . . Rachel Zeller*
Set Design . . Dyan O'Connell*
Lighting Design . . Jacob Vogelman
Costume Design . . Paul Stephenson
Sound Design . . John Shotwell*
Props . . O'Connell*, Vogelman, Zeller*
Poster Illustration . . Melissa Grosse
Movement Coach . . Monica Karwan*
Dialect Coach . . Megan Callahan* |
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SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE USE OF PROPS AND COSTUME ITEMS FOR
THIS PRODUCTION GOES OUT TO:
Blue Mountain Coffee, Andrew Lasda, Jeff Wilber, and the Theatre Department of
the University at Buffalo
SPECIAL THANKS FOR THEATRE PAINTING, CARPENTRY, AND SET UP
FOR THIS PRODUCTION GOES OUT TO:
Michael Fanelli*, Tom Izard*, and Tom Scahill*
* = indicates members of the Subversive Theatre Collective
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