Susan Granger’s review of “Sedition” (Westport Country Playhouse)
“Sedition” by David Wiltse is a powerful, provocative new play that’s as timely and relevant as today’s headlines.
Andrew Schrag (Chris Sarandon) is a professor of German at the University of Nebraska just as President Woodrow Wilson is urging Americans to support our entrance into World War I; to that end, his administration passes The Sedition Act of 1918, making it illegal to criticize the war or the U.S. government.
Schrag – for various and very sound reasons – doesn’t support the “messianic lunacy” of the President’s precipitous actions, asserting “Stupidity at the top is an insult to all of us who think.”
Firm in his convictions and exercising his freedom of speech, Schrag self-righteously articulates his position at a university hearing questioning his patriotism, jeopardizing not only his teaching career but also his reputation and, perhaps, his marriage.
What makes this true story of courage personal is that Andrew Schrag was playwright-in-residence David Wiltse’s grandfather, although the play is not biographical. Evoking comparisons with Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” it’s intriguing “agitprop,” proving that political protest comes in many forms, some more subtle than others.
To its detriment, Tazewell Thompson’s obvious direction accentuates the polemic, as opposed to delving into the troubled relationship of Schrag and his much younger wife Harriet. Often coming across as pompous, Chris Sarandon still seems to be groping for the essence of his conflicted character, particularly when juxtaposed with cleverly manipulative Jeffrey DeMunn, as a government ‘sedition’ investigator, and volatile Colin McPhillamy, as the cynical Chancellor. Hannah Cabell, Mark Shanahan, Bryant Martin lend memorable support. Donald Eastman’s shadow-box set, Robert Wierzel’s lighting, Fabian Obispo’s music and Ilona Somogyi’s costumes effectively enhance the action.
You can see “Sedition” at the Westport Country Playhouse through August 18.