Will the Circle Be Unbroken (09/07-09/08/2006) - photo copyright © PlayMakers

Overview: On September 7 and 8, 2006, David Strathairn led an ensemble cast that included Frederick Neumann, Cheryl Lynn Bruce and Ching Valdes-Aran in a concert stage reading of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel's Will the Circle Be Unbroken at the University of North Carolina. The reading, adapted by Derek Goldman from Terkel's 2001 book Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith, incorporated stories and music--blues, folk, opera and gospel--to illuminate Terkel's poignant interviews about death and dying. Characters portrayed included author Kurt Vonnegut, actress Uta Hagen, North Carolina musician Doc Watson and a rich procession of everyday people sharing family stories and memories. For the reading, David portrayed several characters including a rabbi, the chief of a hospital trauma unit, a father with cancer and the founder of the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention. The event was hosted by StreetSigns Center for Literature and Performance in collaboration with PlayMakers Repertory Company at 8 p.m. Director Joseph Megel described the reading as "uplifting, life-affirming and unforgettable, as it addresses the end of life with compassion, love and understanding. Audiences will witness an extraordinarily talented ensemble of actors and singers as they celebrate the work of an American storytelling pioneer."

Excerpts from Will the Circle Be Unbroken:

• "My father's death brought upon me a heartache that was too much to bear. It was I who found him in bed, his spectacles askew. I was remarkably calm until, seated on the Grand Avenue streetcar the next day, heading nowhere in particular, I surprised myself by breaking into uncontrollable sobs. Embarrassed, seeking to stifle them, blubbering despite myself, I hurried toward the rear of the car, ready to hop off anywhere, just to escape my show of grief." -Studs Terkel, author & oral historian

• "The undertaker unzipped the bag. ...I looked at his teeth, and there were only about four of them left. He had such beautiful teeth. I moved on up to the nose. And it looked like somebody had taken a meat cleaver and had just chopped the bridge of his nose. Pieces had fallen out. When I went to look at his eyes, this one was lying on his cheek. But I saw the color of it. I said, 'That's my son's eye.'" -Mamie Mobley, mother of Emmett Till

• "In Tibet, one of their principal teachings is to reflect on death. In the West, no one has ever told me, 'Think about death.' They say: 'Think about it. Face it.' When we touch that loneliness or fear, we immediately go to the television or the refrigerator. We don't want to touch that fear. They say, 'Touch that fear, go all the way into that fear.' But as soon as we feel fear, or sadness, 'Oh, come on, let's go for a walk.'" -Gary Slutkin, founding director of the Chicago Project For Violence Prevention

• "I have experienced what happens when I die, and so have you. We call it sleep. I look at the Sistine Chapel, with people going to Hell and all that, I have to wonder: Could a man as intelligent as Michelangelo believe this? It's hard for me to give credence to that. But as a humanist, I've never tried to talk anybody out of religion." -Kurt Vonnegut, novelist

• "Do I believe in a life after? I have no idea. I really believe that what I am is not this body. I know how quick this body turns to garbage. I'd like to be cremated and then shot out of a cannon during the '1812 Overture' when they set off the fireworks at Grant Park. That'd be a nice send-off." -Ed Reardon, Chicago Paramedic

• "David Strathairn, famous for roles in L.A. Confidential and the Oscar-nominated Good Night, and Good Luck, delivers some of the most harrowing portrayals of the performance. He proved to be the standout performer in a very talented ensemble..." -Harry Kaplowitz, The Daily Tar Heel

• [on doing the reading] "Joseph [the director] didn't have to ask. He just had to mention it, and my ears perked up." -David Strathairn, 2006

• "The chronicling and reporting of personal testimony that Studs does is just another form of expressing the soul of the common man." -David Strathairn, 2006

• "He was super enthusiastic about the material. He basically said 'sign me up.'" -Joseph Megel, director

• "On the one hand, he really just is and evokes a kind of regular person--not just in terms of the working man or whatever, but someone who just exudes a sense of decency and a kind of participation. He's never someone who you get the sense wants to stand out or has any kind of cult of the individual about him. And that is what this piece, in some ways, is about and what I think the whole body of Studs' work is about." -Joseph Megel, director

Related Links:
StreetSigns (off site)
PlayMakers Repertory Company (off site)