Chicago Theatre Review

Daily Archives: January 21, 2014

Redemption through Theatre

January 21, 2014 Comments Off on Redemption through Theatre

Our Country’s Good – Shattered Globe

Steve-Peebles-Kevin-Viol-and-Ben-Werling-in-Our-Countrys-Good_thumbIt’s been argued that theatre can be a humanizing force, for the audience but especially for its participants. Timberlake Wertenbaker’s 1990 play, based on Australian Thomas Keneally’s novel, The Playmaker, depicts the origins of Western civilization in Australia. During the 1780’s England began deporting its criminals, accompanied by a crew of Royal Marines, to a newly established penal colony in far off Sidney Bay, Australia. Ms. Wertenbaker’s play, inspired by journal accounts by the actual officers on this voyage, tells how Royal Governor Arthur Phillip appointed 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clark to stage a play using some of the convicts, with the hopes that such an experience would civilize and rehabilitate these crude, violent men and women.

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