A friend of mine recently finished writing & directing a noisy and powerful political play called "Quetzel: Red and Green". It's about Guatamala, United Fruit Co, the CIA, capitalism, communism & revolution. (Oh. I should point out that Susan insists she didn't "write" the play but that she merely compiled and arranged public CIA info, interviews with victims, news releases etc. - she fictionalized not a word. She doesn't want anyone to discuss her play without making it clear that it's not fiction.) A small local theater (2nd Story Theater) produced "Quetzel" this winter and it played regularly to packed houses and standing ovations. It even was held- over a few weeks. This was not a gentle "liberal's" sort of play (I think one of the character's angry remonstrances to the audience, was "DON'T tell us about Ghandi! Ghandi wouldn't last 24 hours here! Don't talk to us about peace and civil disobedience...")
Also this year, three other local theaters (I live in Norfolk, VA) produced original political plays (by local playwrights) that ruthlessly attacked capitalism and "The American Way". One was contemporary Commedia called "Harlequin Homeless", another titled "Race!"...I'm sorry I forget the third. Currently I'm in rehearsal for a children's play about police violence.
What I'm getting at is this: Are we experiencing a new and exciting trend in American theater right now or am I living in some very quirky little pocket of the country which is experiencing an exciting fluke?
It's especially strange that this is going on here because this is Pat Robertson's home base and almost all entertainment is controlled by CBN and the Xtian Coalition. (The local talent agency is run by a Regent University alumnus, NYPD Blue was banned for the first year, etc. etc.)
Anyway! How is it out there in the big wide world? Is your theater scene also attempting to come to the rescue, or are we all alone down here?