
What we may think of as ‘other’ and entirely alien to ourselves, often is more similar than that we want to admit. In the end, knowledge and open curiosity about ‘other’ is the key to opening the closed doors of the heart and mind. The play is generous in its ability to navigate what we think we know until we find that we don’t know what we don’t know. Human weakness is on display, but is accepted as a part of the human condition. Strand uses the dialogue to construct a very satisfying experience using wit, psychology, and humor to bring about a difficult but ethical conclusion. The two are a mixture of intellectually curious, stubborn, and insecure. Butler, played by Michael Mendonsa and Shepherd Mallory, and an escaped slave, played by Sharif Ali, engage in tentative exploration of the other. Rene guides the action in skilled way, directing the actors so that their placement on stage underscores the nuances of the character relationships.
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This moment is distilled by Strand into a series of conversations which take place over the course of a few days. €˜Ben Butler’ takes a poignant look at a tumultuous and uncertain time period in U.S. ‘Ben Butler’, a witty and eye-opening historical comedy, is written by Richard Strand, an award-winning playwright, and is directed by Rachel Rene. Butler, who would profoundly influence the direction of the Civil War.īurien Actors Theatre’s season opener is a Northwest Premiere. This initial exchange opens the window into the thought processes of a man, Maj. He is processing the contents of the letter as a subordinate officer enters with pressing information.

Benjamin Franklin Butler.Īs the lights come up, a well-seasoned man in high-ranking Union colors sits at his desk, letter in hand. A few trunks are stacked in the room with nameplates denoting that we are in the office of the title character: Maj. They play to a dimly lit stage: a pre-Civil War office, simply appointed, and oriented at a refreshing angle. Early black spirituals take the mind back in time. Entering the theater, the experience begins.
