Political Theater, Via PowerPoint Presentation
Subjective Theatre troupe offers satirical seminar in conservative politics
By Andrew Hawkins
How does one go about converting a roomful of lefty theater-lovers to the three G’s (God, guns, and [reforming] gays) of conservative politics?
If you are in the Subjective Theatre troupe, everything hinges on the ulterior motive: not really to convert, but to motivate and challenge.
With tongue firmly in cheek, the troupe set out in January to put the fear of the Republican Party into New York’s dyed-in-the-wool liberals with “Party Discipline,” a new play that just ended its three-week run at the Asian American Writer’s Workshop on West 32nd Street.
“I thought, ‘Holy crap! There’s a Republican in the show!’” said producing artistic director Zachary Mannheimer. “And that’s wonderful! Now we can speak to her afterward and find out what she thinks.”
The free performances were almost all filled to capacity. Performances elsewhere in the country, perhaps through licensing of the show, are currently being discussed.
Billed as a “political transformation seminar,” the performance relies on name tags, PowerPoint presentations, audience participation, and a heavy dose of conservative politics to breathe fresh air into an ideological debate that the group views as stagnant.
Producing artistic director Zachary Mannheimer recalled seeing an older woman at one performance nodding her head in agreement while one of the actors proselytized on creationism and the evils of evolution.
“I thought, ‘Holy crap! There’s a Republican in the show!’” he said. “And that’s wonderful! Now we can speak to her afterward and find out what she thinks.”
According to Mannheimer, this is when theater can become a catalyst for change, challenging people rather than alienating them.
“Each of us have a little conservative in us,” said Jesse Alick, a co-author of ‘Party Discipline,’ who also is an actor and the group’s assistant artistic director.
In keeping with the seminar format, the audience is seated at a large conference table with nametags on display. Using a brand of touchy-feely social conservatism, the actors attempt to lure the audience over to their side.
The presenters include a gay man who has decided to shun his homosexuality, a pro-life woman who tries to convince the audience that Planned Parenthood is a conspiracy for rich whites, and a man who tries to promote the advantages of pro-business legislation.
“The goal wasn’t to turn people conservative, obviously,” Alick said, “but to motivate liberals to act.”
Mannheimer agreed.
“Antiwar rallies and petitions aren’t necessarily the answer,” he said. “We think that people should funnel their energies into something more effective.”
As to what could be more effective than protests and sloganeering, Mannheimer had only one answer: “Run for public office.”
