Photos: STRIFE By John Galsworthy Opens This Weekend In Outdoor Production At Theatricum

A new production of “Strife,” the rarely produced drama by Nobel Prize-winning writer and social activist John Galsworthy, is set to open this weekend in an outdoor production at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga. Check out the photos, below.

In this production of Galsworthy’s 1909 play, Theatricum moves the story to 1890s Pennsylvania amidst the industrial unrest and labor movements of America’s Gilded Age. At the climactic peak of a labor strike, both the workers and the corporation are faced with untenable options. The play’s emphasis on the often-overlooked human consequences of these struggles—particularly the voices of women and families who endure the brunt of the turmoil—highlights how easily leaders on both sides get so caught up in their arguments, that sometimes they forget whom they are fighting for. Galsworthy avoids making clear-cut moral judgments, instead presenting a nuanced exploration of the complexities inherent in labor relations. The play’s even-handed treatment invites audiences to grapple with the intricacies of negotiation and resolution while considering the costs of extremism on both sides.

The Theatricum cast features Franc Ross as John Anthony, founder of the American Steel Corporation and chairman of its board, whose members are portrayed by Alan Blumenfeld, Ted Dane, Roman Guastaferro, Adam Mondschein and Andy Stokan. Members of the “Workers’ Committee,” lined up behind firebrand David Roberts (Gerald C. Rivers), are played by Tom Allard, Hunter James and Cavin (CR) Mohrhardt and Rebecca Oca-Nussbaum. Steel plant manager Francis Underwood (Sam Cowan) and union rep Simon Harness (Brian Wallace) find themselves unable to effect compromise, while the women on both sides (Emily Bridges, Clarissa Park, Earnestine Phillips, Annie Reznik, Aubrey Sage and Susan Stangl) and servants (Damon Rutledge) suffer on the sidelines. The large ensemble also includes Marcus Andrews, Luke Bolle, Julius Geer-Polin, Mo Gordon, Danielle McPhaul, Kevin Rauch, Andrew Rodriguez, David Salper, Georgiana Swanson, Aralyn Wilson, Eliott Gray Wilson, Gabe Worstell and Sammie Zenoz.

Performances will continue through October 4, running in rotating repertory on the outdoor stage with four other productions. To find a performance schedule and to purchase tickets. visit theatricum.com.

Photo Credit: Ian Flanders

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