With riveting performances by Franc Ross and Gerald C. Rivers, Ellen and Willow Geer give Strife a renewed sense of urgency, adapting the play to the 1890s in Pennsylvania, but reflecting some of the concerns of today’s job conditions.
From the trade guilds of ancient Rome to their transformation into Labor Unions as we know them today, these associations have tried to achieve economic and social justice by balancing the employer-employee relationship through group bargaining. Social activist John Galsworthy explored the tensions derived from intransigent positions by the two sides in the gripping story of the American Steel Corporation, led by its Chairman John Anthony (Franc Ross) and the Worker’s Committee, led by David Roberts (Gerald C. Rivers).
While the leaders of both sides refuse to give in, the families of the workers suffer the consequences. There is hunger and frustration, and the stakes are so high that the leaderships of Anthony and Roberts run the risk of coming to an end. Galsworthy’s writing is so relevant that his play still resonates today. It might be that the stubbornness of extreme positions have negative effects in more than just labor relations. Wars, trade disputes, and revolutions are clear examples of collateral damage suffered by innocent people at the mercy of leaders unwilling to compromise.
With the turmoil depicted and the dialogue, the cast have an excellent opportunity to shine. Ellen and Willow Geer do a fantastic job exploring the different layers of sensitivities displayed by the characters. Inflexibility, ambivalence, and desperation are embedded in the writing, and the actors make the best of it. If there were a Theatre Hall of Fame in Los Angeles, Ross and Rivers would certainly be inducted. They trigger your suspension of disbelief as soon as they hit the stage. Their portrayal of John Anthony and David Roberts is powerful and moving. They encapsulate the delusion of power and the desolation of its denouement.
The female characters add a significant weight and counterweight to the play. Annie Roberts (Earnestine Phillips) portrays the victim who pays the highest price of the prolonged strike. Enid Underwood (Emily Bridges) changes positions as a result of the unyielding stance of both sides of the conflict. Madge Thomas (Annie Reznik) embodies the frustration and powerlessness of the striking side; she’s a character who is protective and tries to mediate, only to see Roberts’ unwillingness to compromise and the indifference of Enid Underwood to the workers’ needs.
In this particular play, Galsworthy shares a similar style with George Bernard Shaw. To express their social commentary, both writers use long monologues, using dialogue as a tool to critique class divisions and the struggles of the poor. One distinctive detail in Strife, is that Galsworthy features Anthony and Roberts as opposites, one rich, one poor, but as the story unfolds, both end up as equals in their ambition to win the battle. The 180 degrees of separation eventually become 360 degrees of connection. Those nuances make this play timeless, resonating with the audience as any contemporary story would do.
The direction and the acting give a mesmerizing new life to Strife, a play that reflected the struggles of the working class during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, but whose universal themes continue to echo the clamor for economic justice and fair balance in labor relations.
Strife
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga CA 90290
Performances: June 21 – October 4
Tickets and schedule: theatricum.com
Written by John Galsworthy
Directed by Ellen Geer and Willow Geer
Presented by Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
Cast: Franc Ross, Alan Blumenfeld, Ted Dane, Roman Guastaferro, Adam Mondschein, Andy Stokan, Gerald C. Rivers, Tom Allard, Hunter James, Cavin (CR) Mohrhardt, Rebecca Oca–Nussbaum, Sam Cowan, Brian Wallace, Emily Bridges, Clarissa Park, Earnestine Phillips, Annie Reznik, Aubrey Sage, Susan Stangl, Damon Rutledge, 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.
