Director's Note, THE CITY OF CONVERSATION

The verbiage of THE CITY OF CONVERSATION is politics, so I had to find its core meaning. Webster defines it as:

a.) The Art or Science of government. b.) The Art or Science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy. c.) The Art or Science concerning winning and holding control over a government.

There seems to be a progression of possession with each definition. In my imagination I can foresee the possibility of: d.) The Art or Science concerning conquering and controlling the fate of the planet. e.) The Art and science of…well, you fill in the blanks.

Go as far as you like. Lately, there seems to be no limit as to how far one can go.

So, this word politics—whether we like it or not—has enduring gravitas. I love the fact that even Webster refuses to commit, opting instead for “The Art OR Science of…” I think Webster is being political and refusing to commit (Did I say that? Now, I’m being political). It’s everywhere and you can’t escape it. How did we get here? OK, there are twenty-four news stations broadcasting 24/7 with sixty-five commentaries on a single political event…day after day. Stop the world! It’s all too much but, after all, it is politics.

Director William Roudebush shares his vision for THE CITY OF CONVERSATION during an early rehearsal. Photo by DTC Staff.

Audiences differ from night to night. Any actor will tell you that, but this particular cast is about to experience a HUGE difference. We open on October 29, 2016 with Barack Obama as our president. When we close on November 13th who knows who the president will be..? Except for those of you reading this after the election on November 8th; you will have already begun the process—the political process—of accepting change. We, all of us here reading this on opening night, have no idea what might occur. We will watch this production through an Obama filter, knowing the words that comprise THE CITY OF CONVERSATION can never be viewed from this perspective again.

Before we enter this uncharted territory let’s take one last look at how we got to this point. THE CITY OF CONVERSATION will take you back to a time in our history when the stakes were also pretty high. Listen carefully to the first sound cue of the show. It’s a speech by Jimmy Carter. It may sound familiar. Oh yeah, it’s politics!

Enjoy! William Roudebush, Director of THE CITY OF CONVERSATION