Dramaturg's Statement

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.