March 23, 2024 – It is not often Knox Countians have the opportunity to see acclaimed actors performing alongside Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr and Kenyon College President Julie Kornfeld, but on April 6th and 7th, they will light up the stages at Knox Memorial and Oden Hall in An Enemy of the People: A Theater Project from America’s Hometown. Artistic Director Bryan Doerries says, “We are delighted to be working with a wide-ranging cast…By assembling such an eclectic group of people to read and perform Ibsen’s play, we hope to model a way of coming together to discuss and interpret the text that has room for a wide range of perspectives.”
An Enemy of the People will feature performances by David Strathairn (Nomadland, Lincoln, The Bourne Ultimatum), Elizabeth Marvel (Homeland, Burn After Reading, Love & Death), Bill Camp (The Queen’s Gambit, The Night Of, Joker), Matt T. Starr (Mayor, City of Mount Vernon, Ohio), Julie Kornfeld (President, Kenyon College), John K. Chidester (Library Director at Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County), Jon Tazewell (Thomas S. Turgeon Professor of Drama and Film, Kenyon College), Peter Marks (former Chief Theater Critic of The Washington Post), Marjolaine Goldsmith (Company Manager, Theater of War Productions), Osose Omofomah (Student, Kenyon College) and Wendy MacLeod (James Michael Playwright-in-Residence/Professor of Drama, Kenyon College).
In addition to a stellar cast, several community members will join the cast and audience for a post-play public discussion. “One of the aspects of the productions that Theater of War brings is the ability to open a dialogue among audience members and panelists who respond to the story’s characters, themes, and messages. That is where the real magic happens – after the actors are finished and the discussion begins while the story is still fresh in everyone’s mind. We have the opportunity to realize timeless healing messages that connect us with each other and promote understanding rather than judgment,” says Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr.
There will be plenty to talk about: the play tells the story of a doctor who discovers the water supply in his small town has been poisoned by a tannery. Despite his efforts to convey the truth to the public, the doctor fails to save his community from environmental disaster and is ultimately scapegoated for his whistleblowing. An Enemy of the People was first performed in Norway in 1882, yet it speaks to the present moment as if it were written for our time. “There is a bit of something for everyone in the play,” says Library Deputy Director Jamie Lyn Smith-Fletcher. “A flawed hero, brother pitted against brother, greedy powers-that-be trying to cover up a scandal that threatens profits, controversy over development and resources, funny and eccentric characters, a rowdy crowd…You name it, Ibsen hits all the notes.”
An Enemy of the People events are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Performances will take place in Knox Memorial Theater in Mount Vernon on Saturday, April 6th at 6:00 pm, and Oden Hall in Gambier on Sunday, April 7th at 4:00 pm. To register to attend in-person please visit: https://www.mvac.org/theater-of-war or call 740-462-4ART. Zoom attendees may register at eotp-knoxcounty.eventbrite.com. These events are presented by the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County, Theater of War Productions, Kenyon College Office for Community Partnerships, and Mount Vernon Arts Consortium and made possible in part with support from the Ohio Arts Council, an LSTA Competitive Grant administered by the State Library of Ohio, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kenyon College Bicentennial Fund, and the Kenyon College Office for Community Partnerships.
The Library has contracted with local transportation companies to offer a limited number of door-to-door shuttles for people who need a ride to performances. Transportation vouchers will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. To arrange a ride, please contact knoxwrites1@gmail.com, or call (740) 392-BOOK ext. 259 by Wednesday, March 27th at 12:00 noon. For more information about An Enemy of the People and other Library programs, visit www.knox.net.
Theater of War Productions works with leading film, theater, and television actors to present dramatic readings of seminal texts—from classical and contemporary plays to sermons, books, speeches, screenplays, long-form articles, and modern works of poetry. These performances provide a framework for engaging communities in powerful discussions about critical subjects, such as the visible and invisible wounds of war, mental health,,, the challenges faced by refugees and immigrants, homelessness, the isolation of the pandemic, and the climate crisis. The company uses a combination of live performance and guided dialogue to help diverse communities address pressing public health and social issues, helping break down stigmas and foster empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of complex topics. For more info, please visit theaterofwar.com.
