Haymarket

October 30 – November 16, 2003
Boston Playwrights' Theatre Presents
Haymarket
by Zayd Dohrn
directed by Adam Zahler

From the critically-acclaimed author of Shameless comes the dramatic story of Lucy and Albert Parsons--he, an accused terrorist and Editor of the anarchist newspaper "The Alarm". When dynamite explodes and a riot breaks out in Haymarket, killing 11 people--seven of them policemen, the tenor of 1886 Chicago grows murderous. Parsons must choose between the "cause" and his very life.

"How often do you see a new play just bursting with thoughtful ideas, a play which holds your attention and earns your admiration for its elegant language?…Add Zayd Dohrn to your list of fiercely intelligent playwrights." Beverly Creasey, Theater Mirror

"This new play by Zayd Dohrn is eloquent and moves at a steady, intelligent pace…Wesley Savick and Jacqui Parker play the Par-sons with spirited compassion. Savick ably captures the human frailty that runs underneath even the most courageous of martyrs… Birgit Huppuch creates her tightly wound characters skillfully; in one of his roles, Barlow Adamson delivers a warm portrayal of a young police officer deafened by the dynamite blast. It’s a stunning cast…." Gina Perille, Boston Globe

"…the production at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre …boasts uniformly strong acting and a deceptively simple scenic design that does much not only to suggest the different dramatic loca-tions but the interplay of institutions with the fringe beyond…. Haymarket…serves to advertise a burgeoning playwright of solid dramatic instincts." Adam R. Perlman, Curtain Call

"Under the sure hand of director Adam Zahler, who has staged a crisp production, a first-rate cast of local actors bring the characters to life…They’re led by Wesley Savick in a layered portrayal of the doomed Parsons as a revolutionary who hides his passions be-neath an intellectual exterior… Jacqui Parker is measured as his wife, Lucy, an important historical figure in her own right. The other actors — Barlow Adamson, Ken Baltin, Peter Edward Haydu, and Birgit Huppuch — double in their roles, with Haydu making an amazing transformation from the police captain, Bonfield, to Judge Gary…." Iris Fanger, Boston Phoenix

"A better ensemble cast drawn from local talent would be hard to imagine and there hasn’t been a better example of efficient con-temporary stagecraft this fall. (Haymarket) is another triumph…." Will Stackman, Theater Mirror