Humor, history and hardship

Starting tonight, the Portland State department of theater and film will present their rendition of the play Our Country’s Good, directed by adjunct professor Amy Gonzalez.

The 1988 play, written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker and based on the novel The Playmaker (1987) by Thomas Keneally, takes the audience to a time of hardship while supplying a dark, comical twist.

The play’s sense of historical reality fascinated Gonzales.

“I was drawn to the story in and of itself, and more so because it is true,” she said. “It’s life at the extremes.”

Wertenbaker’s play is set in 1788. Eleven British ships have completed their voyage in Australia, where they have established the first penal colony. The governor, unsatisfied with the way things are going, has the idea of a putting on a play.

The ambitious 2nd Lt. Ralph Clark sees the play as a means to success and jumps at the opportunity.

“Second Lieutenants really aren’t that high up in the ranking system. If he wants to go anywhere in life he needs to be promoted,” explained theater arts senior Michael Rosenberg, who plays the characters James “Ketch” Freeman and Robbie Ross. This is his fourth main stage production at Portland State.

As the play continues, Clark decides to stage George Farquhar’s play The Recruiting Officer, a romantic comedy intertwined with the harsh realties of military life. The play is light-hearted, but the situation in Australia continues on a downward spiral.

“These characters are existing in one of the most tense situations possible,” Rosenberg said. “You have confinement, both to the camp because of the savages, the wildlife, mountains and oceans, as well as actual confinement, work and flogging.”

In addition, the food is rapidly dwindling—there are, after all, more than 800 convicts and soldiers with no supplies coming their way. There’s dissent among the ranks, the convicts are running away, stealing and drinking. This would seem like the worst possible time to put on a play. And yet they do.

While all of this is going on, the female characters use sex to get their needs met.

“Each woman has a significantly different situation when it comes to sex and survival,” said theater arts freshman Sena Garbon, who plays the characters Dabby Bryant and William Faddy. “For instance, Dabby basically pimps Mary out so that Mary can get food, which Dabby takes a share of.”

Another female character, named Duckling, is in a relationship of sorts with one of the naval officers; she, therefore, has plenty to eat from his rations. The character Liz, however, won’t be touched by any of the sailors. In her monologue at the top of Act II, Liz describes her hunger, which persists because none of the sailors or officers will trade food for the use of her body.

The cast is comprised of eleven students, ranging from freshmen to graduate students.

“Everybody plays at least two roles, an officer and a convict, with the exception of two,” Gonzalez said. “Sometimes there are ten people on stage talking at the same time.”

Gonzalez began directing plays when she was 19 years old after taking a class during her sophomore year of college. She began teaching a directing class at Portland State last summer. Prior to that, she taught theater at Foothill College’s Theatre Conservatory program in Los Altos Hills, Calif.

“Amy [Gonzalez] is really good at taking actor input,” Rosenberg said. “She makes sure we at least give it a shot, and, if it works, great. If it doesn’t, at least we tried.”

Rosenberg added that the play is incredibly well written: “It’s funny, it’s somber, it’s interesting and it has moments people should walk away from the performance thinking about.”

The play has been in the works since August, according to assistant director and theater arts senior Samantha Worden. The crew began rehearsals Oct. 1.

“We rehearse six days a week—from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. four nights a week, and we also do weekends,” Gonzalez said.

“It was phenomenal to watch it come to life,” Worden said.