Dramaturg’s Statement for Talk Radio
Talk Radio by Eric Bogosian is set in a Cleveland radio station in 1987. It is truly a story about the fabric of America as reflected by the callers and the radio talk show host, Barry Champlain. Although controversial, tough-as-nails and sometimes rude, Barry Champlain is the perfect example of the troubled loner. He is fueled by loathing, cocaine, whisky, and cigarettes. Even though Talk Radio is centered around Barry Champlain to believe that this is Barry’s story could be said to miss Bogosian’s point. This is a story about America. It is set in the unassuming Midwest for a reason and the callers call in and talk about national concerns for a reason. The range of topics such as AIDS, the upcoming presidential elections, the War on Drugs, Communism, the Iran-Contra Affair, anti-Semitism, racism against African-Americans, and nuclear power show the fear and tension that existed in 1987 and in many ways still exists today.
Since the play is set in the confines of a radio studio, the fact that the interaction is mostly with Barry and the callers can be problematic since this limits the amount of on-stage activity. There is not a lot of leeway in regard to the set design since the location remains the same throughout the duration of the play. The creativity comes with how to address the callers and where to put them, on-stage or off-stage. It is also necessary to decide if the callers should use artificial amplification. Most of the critically accepted productions do. However, this could be problematic for production companies with smaller financial resources. The radio advertising spots have to be addressed too. These are written into the script and are a necessary part of the story. As such, it may be helpful to secure the help of a sound designer. Also, since there are no set changes, the lighting design is of importance as the lights help set the tone of the production and emphasize different individuals particularly when they have their monologues aside to the audience.
Most of the dialogue is spoken by Barry Champlain and at a very quick tempo. The actor who plays Barry will not only have to memorize his own lines, but the lines of the callers as well if the tempo of the show is to be maintained. Talk Radio is billed as a comedy even though the subject matter is dark. To keep the element of humor, albeit sarcastic humor, Talk Radio is utterly dependent upon the comic timing of the actors. The lack of comic timing is the kiss of death to a production. Critics often say that the play is too dark to be of any redeeming value and that they do not feel it is funny at all. Part of this problem is textual, however, and the productions that do work keep in mind that tempo is critical.
When addressing the issues surrounding the character of Barry Champlain it is important to note that the age and experience of the actor is important too. Critics have frowned upon young actors playing the role of Barry Champlain because they lack the life experience to portray the sardonic and bitter side of Barry. Of course, in an academic setting this often cannot be avoided. It is something that professional production companies should keep in mind when casting.
Textually Talk Radio provides further problems by the constant chain smoking of Barry. From an ethics perspective, the issue of how to handle the smoking must be addressed. On the one hand, there is a responsibility to portray the play exactly as the playwright has written. On the other hand, the consequences of second-hand smoke are well-known to the American public. Additionally, when casting the role of Barry the concern for that actor’s health must be considered. The question then arises of how to cast the role. Should only actors that smoke be considered for the role? If so, is that a form of discrimination? If the fact that an actor does or does not smoke is ignored, is there the possibility that an unsafe habit may be formed?
Finally, Talk Radio is all about subjects that are controversial. It definitely contains adult subject matter and adult language. As such it is imperative that the community in which the play will be produced be considered. This is particularly important if critical and patron acceptance is important.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The World of the Play: Statement
Eric Bogosian’s Talk Radio is set in Cleveland, Ohio in 1987. Cleveland is situated in the Great Lakes area near the shores of Lake Eerie. Its proximity to Lake Eerie made it a city of industry. It is actually almost directly across Lake Eerie from Detroit. Cleveland’s location to the Great Lakes means that there is a lot of moisture in the air and, therefore, it receives a fairly high precipitation rate.
It is known from the script that the radio station is housed in Terminal Tower, a fixture of Cleveland. Terminal Tower was originally, in part a train station, and has been remodeled in recent years to include not just offices but also shopping. It is interesting to note that Bogosian used a former train station to house the radio station. Cleveland in 1987 was in a financial recovery following a partial default by the city in 1979. The 1980’s was a decade which saw the city in major decline as there was very little public funds available for city works projects. During this time the U.S. auto industry was beginning decline as well which also affected the already financially desperate city. As the city began to decline, drugs became a part if the city’s makeup and crime rates increased. It seemed as though the national war on drugs could not have come at a better time.
Although Cleveland is a fairly small metropolitan area, in 1987 it was an area where Bogosian could really utilize the specific national affairs of the period in a specific time and place. Cleveland is Middle America. Callers from Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs call in to tell Barry about what is on their mind. The callers act as the American conscious and reflect the way ordinary people felt in a pretty extraordinary time. 1987 is the end of Reagan’s presidential tenure people are beginning to think about who should take over after Reagan was gone. People wondered if perhaps, George Bush would fit the bill. The scandal of the Iran Contra affair was front and foremost in the American mind as was the Lebanon Hostage Crisis. There were a lot of unknown and uncertainties at this time in the world, in America, and in Cleveland. A few years before President Reagan and the Pope were nearly killed in separate assassination attempts. The AIDS epidemic was frightening and real with many people succumbing to this little understood disease. Although politics in the USSR was shifting, people were still uncertain about communism and were frightened about the Cold War. Nuclear anything was dirty word and so the Perry Nuclear Power Plant outside of Cleveland was controversial to say the least.
In spite of the precarious economic state of affairs in Cleveland, there were still ways that Cleveland residents could entertain themselves. Sports, particularly baseball, were very popular. In 1987, the Cleveland Indians were expected to go all the way to the World Series. They had an excellent roster of players which included legendary pitcher Phil Niekro. It was a bitter disappointment when another Midwest rival, the Minnesota Twins, won the series that year. Among other forms of entertainment, music was very important. The type of music being played on the airwaves was changing and though listeners could still hear the progressive rock of the 1970’s, the airwaves were filled with a new pop sound. The new pop sound came from artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. Also, heavy metal was a popular form of music that was loud and rebellious in much the same way as America’s youth had become. In Talk Radio, Bogosian uses the character Kent as an archetype for the rebellious teenager of the time. However, in spite of his “punk” haircut and his shout-out to the babes at the local mall there is something of substance to him. Kent’s reference to Heavy Metal band Megadeath’s album titled “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying” is a very pointed reference, a summary, of the state of Barry Champlain’s talk radio show, of the city of Cleveland, of the state of America’s youth, of the state of America’s politics and society, and of the state of the world. Bogosian’s ability to use the small world Barry Champlain and Cleveland, Ohio to spotlight the larger world of the United States and the entire globe is something that was relevant in Public Theatre’s 1987 premiere of Talk Radio, was relevant in Oliver Stone’s 1988 film version of Talk Radio, was relevant in the 1997 revival of Talk Radio on Broadway, and is something that is still relevant to the audience today.
It is known from the script that the radio station is housed in Terminal Tower, a fixture of Cleveland. Terminal Tower was originally, in part a train station, and has been remodeled in recent years to include not just offices but also shopping. It is interesting to note that Bogosian used a former train station to house the radio station. Cleveland in 1987 was in a financial recovery following a partial default by the city in 1979. The 1980’s was a decade which saw the city in major decline as there was very little public funds available for city works projects. During this time the U.S. auto industry was beginning decline as well which also affected the already financially desperate city. As the city began to decline, drugs became a part if the city’s makeup and crime rates increased. It seemed as though the national war on drugs could not have come at a better time.
Although Cleveland is a fairly small metropolitan area, in 1987 it was an area where Bogosian could really utilize the specific national affairs of the period in a specific time and place. Cleveland is Middle America. Callers from Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs call in to tell Barry about what is on their mind. The callers act as the American conscious and reflect the way ordinary people felt in a pretty extraordinary time. 1987 is the end of Reagan’s presidential tenure people are beginning to think about who should take over after Reagan was gone. People wondered if perhaps, George Bush would fit the bill. The scandal of the Iran Contra affair was front and foremost in the American mind as was the Lebanon Hostage Crisis. There were a lot of unknown and uncertainties at this time in the world, in America, and in Cleveland. A few years before President Reagan and the Pope were nearly killed in separate assassination attempts. The AIDS epidemic was frightening and real with many people succumbing to this little understood disease. Although politics in the USSR was shifting, people were still uncertain about communism and were frightened about the Cold War. Nuclear anything was dirty word and so the Perry Nuclear Power Plant outside of Cleveland was controversial to say the least.
In spite of the precarious economic state of affairs in Cleveland, there were still ways that Cleveland residents could entertain themselves. Sports, particularly baseball, were very popular. In 1987, the Cleveland Indians were expected to go all the way to the World Series. They had an excellent roster of players which included legendary pitcher Phil Niekro. It was a bitter disappointment when another Midwest rival, the Minnesota Twins, won the series that year. Among other forms of entertainment, music was very important. The type of music being played on the airwaves was changing and though listeners could still hear the progressive rock of the 1970’s, the airwaves were filled with a new pop sound. The new pop sound came from artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. Also, heavy metal was a popular form of music that was loud and rebellious in much the same way as America’s youth had become. In Talk Radio, Bogosian uses the character Kent as an archetype for the rebellious teenager of the time. However, in spite of his “punk” haircut and his shout-out to the babes at the local mall there is something of substance to him. Kent’s reference to Heavy Metal band Megadeath’s album titled “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying” is a very pointed reference, a summary, of the state of Barry Champlain’s talk radio show, of the city of Cleveland, of the state of America’s youth, of the state of America’s politics and society, and of the state of the world. Bogosian’s ability to use the small world Barry Champlain and Cleveland, Ohio to spotlight the larger world of the United States and the entire globe is something that was relevant in Public Theatre’s 1987 premiere of Talk Radio, was relevant in Oliver Stone’s 1988 film version of Talk Radio, was relevant in the 1997 revival of Talk Radio on Broadway, and is something that is still relevant to the audience today.
Statement: Producing the Play
Producing Talk Radio
Textual Issues
Since Talk Radio is about a radio program and is a snapshot of “one night in the life of Barry Champlain’s radio program” there are immediate issues. Radio is not something that is meant to be viewed, so there is a problem presented before one even reads the entirety of the script. The issue becomes how to present a predominately listened to medium in a visual way. This is particularly tough because there is very little physical interaction between any of the characters. What drives the production is the callers. The callers pose another interesting textual problem. They were written to be heard and not necessarily seen. If the callers are not visible, then it becomes necessary to use artificial amplification so that they can be heard. This could be problematic for some theatres that do not have the necessary equipment. If the decision is made to put the callers on stage, then there will be more costumes needed even if they are basic. There are close to thirty callers so the sheer number of these extras must be considered. The content of Talk Radio can be controversial to say the least. In reviews Barry Champlain is often referred to as a “shock-jock” and with lines referring to owning blacks or anti-Semite leanings or yelling at a young pregnant teenager for how she “did this” to her boyfriend most of the material is controversial and adult. In the text, it is specifically referenced that Barry smokes heavily. He is meant by Bogosian to be constantly smoking and drinking throughout the whole play. Smoking on stage, particularly constantly, poses problems for a variety of reasons from the fire code to the health of the actor to the health of the audience.
Contextual Issues
Talk Radio is going to be produced in a Raven Rep slot in the Showcase Theatre during the fall semester. It is important to note that as a Raven Rep show, there is virtually no production budget. First, the concern of taking this listened to show and making it something viable will be a concern for the director during casting. There is a problem producing Talk Radio since the age and experience of Barry are far beyond the age and experience found at SHSU. The second problem is that of the callers. It would be very tough to place the callers backstage when utilizing the Showcase especially if trying to allow their dialogue to be heard through artificial amplification. However, if the decision is made to put them onstage, there is the issue of where to put them that will flow with the rest of the set (which would be the station) and how they will be dressed. With either choice there will be problems for either the sound designer/sound engineer or the costume designer. In the text, there are different radio spots that play during station breaks, these must be prerecorded. Since there is a need for prerecorded spots as well as sound amplification and music, it would be helpful to use a sound engineer/sound designer. The final issue is that of smoking. In the SHSU facilities, we do not have very good ventilation. Also, actual smoking would mean the use of live flame which is a potential fire hazard. Beyond these two issues, smoking is a concern for the audience and actors. If Barry smokes between two and three packs of cigarettes a show, as called for in the script, then there is the ethical concern of exposing the audience and actors to that much second-hand smoke. Also, there is the ethical concern that the individual cast as Barry, who in our case will be a student, will be smoking very, very heavily. When casting does that mean that only smokers need apply and if they are smokers are they smoking this heavily? As a school, there is a responsibility to the students to keep them safe so that has to be taken into consideration when handling this problem.
Other Productions’ Solutions
In the original Talk Radio production, the callers in booths backstage listening to Barry on telephones that were mounted with special listening devices and microphones so the audience could hear them. The revival utilized something similar. In terms of casting the callers, nearly every production used one or two female actors for all of the female callers and same with the male callers. Every production utilized a sound designer or engineer. References to smoking are made in different productions, but it does not seem to be problematic. Of course, on Broadway the theatres typically have excellent ventilation. In the Arkansas State University production, it appears that they did not use cigarettes. It seems the best thing to do is give a full disclosure in the pre-performance press release.
Critics’ Response to Other Productions
The New City Stage Co. production was criticized for using actor Paul Felder who they felt was too young and inexperienced to play such a cynical role. The revival with Liev Schreiber was lauded and critics said the role was “made for him.” Sometimes critics would respond to the acting only after they commented on the script. Critics either like the script and find it compelling and truthful or dislike it because it is too hateful with no redeeming qualities. Talk Radio, especially early on, is often compared to Bogosian’s other monologue work.
Textual Issues
Since Talk Radio is about a radio program and is a snapshot of “one night in the life of Barry Champlain’s radio program” there are immediate issues. Radio is not something that is meant to be viewed, so there is a problem presented before one even reads the entirety of the script. The issue becomes how to present a predominately listened to medium in a visual way. This is particularly tough because there is very little physical interaction between any of the characters. What drives the production is the callers. The callers pose another interesting textual problem. They were written to be heard and not necessarily seen. If the callers are not visible, then it becomes necessary to use artificial amplification so that they can be heard. This could be problematic for some theatres that do not have the necessary equipment. If the decision is made to put the callers on stage, then there will be more costumes needed even if they are basic. There are close to thirty callers so the sheer number of these extras must be considered. The content of Talk Radio can be controversial to say the least. In reviews Barry Champlain is often referred to as a “shock-jock” and with lines referring to owning blacks or anti-Semite leanings or yelling at a young pregnant teenager for how she “did this” to her boyfriend most of the material is controversial and adult. In the text, it is specifically referenced that Barry smokes heavily. He is meant by Bogosian to be constantly smoking and drinking throughout the whole play. Smoking on stage, particularly constantly, poses problems for a variety of reasons from the fire code to the health of the actor to the health of the audience.
Contextual Issues
Talk Radio is going to be produced in a Raven Rep slot in the Showcase Theatre during the fall semester. It is important to note that as a Raven Rep show, there is virtually no production budget. First, the concern of taking this listened to show and making it something viable will be a concern for the director during casting. There is a problem producing Talk Radio since the age and experience of Barry are far beyond the age and experience found at SHSU. The second problem is that of the callers. It would be very tough to place the callers backstage when utilizing the Showcase especially if trying to allow their dialogue to be heard through artificial amplification. However, if the decision is made to put them onstage, there is the issue of where to put them that will flow with the rest of the set (which would be the station) and how they will be dressed. With either choice there will be problems for either the sound designer/sound engineer or the costume designer. In the text, there are different radio spots that play during station breaks, these must be prerecorded. Since there is a need for prerecorded spots as well as sound amplification and music, it would be helpful to use a sound engineer/sound designer. The final issue is that of smoking. In the SHSU facilities, we do not have very good ventilation. Also, actual smoking would mean the use of live flame which is a potential fire hazard. Beyond these two issues, smoking is a concern for the audience and actors. If Barry smokes between two and three packs of cigarettes a show, as called for in the script, then there is the ethical concern of exposing the audience and actors to that much second-hand smoke. Also, there is the ethical concern that the individual cast as Barry, who in our case will be a student, will be smoking very, very heavily. When casting does that mean that only smokers need apply and if they are smokers are they smoking this heavily? As a school, there is a responsibility to the students to keep them safe so that has to be taken into consideration when handling this problem.
Other Productions’ Solutions
In the original Talk Radio production, the callers in booths backstage listening to Barry on telephones that were mounted with special listening devices and microphones so the audience could hear them. The revival utilized something similar. In terms of casting the callers, nearly every production used one or two female actors for all of the female callers and same with the male callers. Every production utilized a sound designer or engineer. References to smoking are made in different productions, but it does not seem to be problematic. Of course, on Broadway the theatres typically have excellent ventilation. In the Arkansas State University production, it appears that they did not use cigarettes. It seems the best thing to do is give a full disclosure in the pre-performance press release.
Critics’ Response to Other Productions
The New City Stage Co. production was criticized for using actor Paul Felder who they felt was too young and inexperienced to play such a cynical role. The revival with Liev Schreiber was lauded and critics said the role was “made for him.” Sometimes critics would respond to the acting only after they commented on the script. Critics either like the script and find it compelling and truthful or dislike it because it is too hateful with no redeeming qualities. Talk Radio, especially early on, is often compared to Bogosian’s other monologue work.
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