The Shotgun Players Production of Adam Chanzit's "The Great Divide'
What happens to an economical depressed small town when a natural gas boom gives the citizens of the community much needed financial help. What happens when this financial help comes with making the waters of the town contaminated? Adam Chanzit’s “The Great Divide” attempts to tell this story in this interesting two hour docu-drama now playing on the Ashby State through June 24 thanks to a large cast from The Shotgun Players.
“The Great Divide” is a classic social critique based on Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People”. It brings this thought provoking drama into a modern context. It possess the important question “Is bust better than boom” as one character says since there has been an outbreak of illness caused by the hydraulic fracturing in the propagation of fractures in a rock layer beneath the town. This allows natural gas to escape through a pipeline and contaminate the water supply of the town.
“The Great Divide” and director Mina Morita have spent two years putting this play together and even during the previews there were changes made. At present it still looks like a play in progress and there needs to be tightening of the first act. The second act does come together.
Dr. Stockmann an unenthusiastic medical activist has returned to her old family homestead with her husband and two children. She wants to retire from the time she spent fighting human rights battles in South America. There will be no rest here in the Colorado town since an oil company is drilling for underground gas. She has also discovered that the drinking water is being contaminated by the drilling.
Hovstad a writer for the local paper has been working on an uncovering of the possible relationship between the increasing numbers of residents who is becoming ill. However most of the town agrees with the doctor’s elder brother Peter who is excruciatingly aware of this despite his position as mayor. He is being dominated by his younger brother as the head of the oil wheeler-dealer. Most of the town is on his side since they are now working and making money to feed their families.
Some of the elements of this bio-economic conflict are less developed then others while the court scene in the second act is skillfully accomplished. Also scenes of oil rigging crews are excellently portrayed.
Mora Morita direction is rapid pace for a large 14 member cast. Her action scenes are effective on Martin Flynn’s spear multi-level wooden stage to allow her to keep the action solid. There is a lot of good information overcrowded into this two hour production but somehow it seemed more of a TV movie of the week.
Ryan Tasker gives a solid performance as the newspaper editor Hovstad He successfully portrays as a conscientious investigative reporter about uncovering the truth in the first act and then getting second thoughts when he becomes disheartened since his report cause great monetary hardships on the town’s citizens.
Heather Robison is commanding in her role as the intense and nervous Dr. Stockmann. Edward McCloud as husband Tom, Luisa Frasconi as her college age daughter Petra and Samuel Berston as their young son Morten are effective in their small roles.
Michaela Greeley gives a concise performance as the hawkish, mysterious grandmother who sharply becomes important in the second act but is barely written into the play before that outstanding scene. Rebecca Pingree, Carl Holvick-Thomas, Sarita Ocon, Hugo E Carbajal, Paul Loomis,Sabrina De Mio and Scott Phillips all gives thought-provoking performances and each seems well suited for his or her part.
“The Great Divide” plays through June 24th on the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Berkeley. For tickets call 510-841-6500 or on line at www.shotgunplayers.org