In the aftermath of disaster, despair or persecution, it is the current generation’s duty to look back and ensure that history does not repeat itself. Only months removed from a tragedy of national proportions in New Orleans, Americans are already starting to question what went wrong and how similar disasters can be prevented in the future.
In the year after Hurricane Katrina’s whirlwind path through Louisiana and onto the national spectrum, Jeffrey Bruner brings an introspective tale of hope and despair, based on interviews and reporting coverage. Bruner, who is the film and theater critic for the Des Moines Register, details the trials and tribulations of those who survived, or perished in, last year’s national disaster.
Directed by Patrick Rybarczyk, a co-founding member of the Ulysses Theatre Company, Katrina: State of Emergency attempts to delve into the controversial, underlying issues of the disaster. The performance – using traditional theatrical techniques alongside multimedia footage – chronicles the experiences of those who were involved in the hurricane.
To further illustrate the depth of the hurricane’s destruction, Bruner’s tumultuous tale introduces audiences to the faces behind Katrina. Audiences meet a family of British tourists who recount their five-day experience from Hell. A blogger, who reported many of the hurricane’s happenings from a deserted high rise, is also present. And the government, both local and national, is represented largely through their indifference in the face of mass disparity.
Katrina: State of Emergency is playing through Feb. 19. Tickets cost $20 to $25. Tickets and showtimes are available online at www.bailiwick.org or by calling (773) 883-1090.
– Michael Burgner