A Hundred Circling Camps

Tweet

The second verse of the Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe begins, “I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,” The camps were composed of Union soldiers fighting to preserve the United States from a rebellion by states wanting to maintain their practice of enslavement of people for the financial benefit of elite groups of businessmen. In a sense, the notion of Union soldiers gathering in camps to address an insurgent movement is a metaphor for citizens assembling in groups to focus the attention of the government and the public on issues that are important to the nation.

A Hundred Circling Camps, written by Sam Collier and superbly directed by Rebecca Wear, is a story based on the “Bonus March” of 1932. It is more than a play about a historical event. It is also a commentary on the nature of citizens exercising their right to assemble and petition the government to redress grievances, rights established in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is a show worth seeing because of its story and the actors’ performances.

The Bonus March of 1932 was a demonstration by veterans of World War I asking that the financial promises made by the U.S. government be honored in advance of the original payment date of January 1945. The economic situation for people in the United States was desperate during the Great Depression, and the veterans, most with families to support, felt that the money promised would help them survive.

In using the story of the Bonus Marchers of 1932, Collier establishes the framework from which to create a bridge that connects demonstrations that occurred in 1968, 1986, 2012, and 2020. She raises the issue of whether such gatherings and demonstrations have any real impact on the social order. The following from Act 2 illustrates one of the main dramatic themes of the production. Mabel (Naja Irvin-Conyers), a character from the 1968 Poor People’s March, is speaking to Lark (Peyton Mader), a character from the 1932 Bonus March, “People march and forget and march and forget and march and forget.”

The “Bonus March” would include 43,000 veterans and their families, including families who had lost loved ones in the war. These people traveled to Washington, D.C., and set up campsites in advance of a march intended to pressure Congress to appropriate the bonus money owed to the veterans.

The opening scene establishes the contours of the Bonus Marchers and introduces some of the key people. It starts with two young children of veterans, Cadey (Maggie Blake) and Morrow (Zack Maluccio), teasing one another while a veteran, Skip (Francis Price), sits nearby working on a sign. A woman of color, Sewilla Lamar (Marita McKee), enters and introduces some social context to the event when she tells Lark (Peyton Mader) about what happened to her on the train when some men in uniform attacked her and stole all her money. This interaction establishes an essential aspect of the Bonus Marchers camp as Lark tells her she is welcome. It establishes that race was not an issue. Sewilla Lamar is necessary to the story, and the contrast between her treatment in the camp and the congressional offices is revealed when she tells of not being allowed to enter the office of Congressional Representatives. She could only speak with them in the hall outside of their offices, an example of racism in the Halls of Congress.

The first of the time shifts is revealed at the end of Act 1; Anna (Katelyn Wenkoff), a woman from the 1986 “Great Peace March,” appears in the Bonus March camp as Lark is giving Cadey a bowl of soup. She got lost on her way back to her camp by the Lincoln Memorial. Lark gives her directions to 1986 as if it were nothing unusual. Wenkoff convincingly embodies three women from different periods.

Lark is an important character. She is the link that connects the various periods through the cooking and sharing soup. She is the one who understands that there is something special about the nature of the gatherings that has created a temporal shift, allowing different times to interact. Act 2 opens with Lark, Mabel, and Dahlia (Aidan Amster), all women from various times, cutting vegetables for a big soup pot. The scene effectively gives more insight into the various attitudes and actions of the people involved in three of the demonstrations depicted.

Collier’s use of soup is an interesting dramatic device. It borrows from the European folk tale of the “Stone Soup,” in which a hungry traveler gets the people of a village to contribute ingredients in the creation of a delicious soup that is then shared by everyone in the village. The result is that everyone happily interacts with each other over bowls of the soup. Collier uses soup as the connective tissue to weave together important aspects of the story, illustrating whether these types of demonstrations have any impact.

The show’s core concerns the Bonus March and the various things that lead to a violent ending. The play introduces some real people who played important roles in the creation, support, and ultimate destruction of the Bonus Marcher’s camps. The three most important people are Pelham D. Glassford (Alex Draper), Superintendent of the D.C. Police Department, who was a Brigadier General in World War I and is sympathetic to the veterans demands, Evalyn Walsh McLean (Lynn Hawley), a legendary Washington socialite, heiress to a gold-mining fortune, owner of the Hope Diamond, and whose husband owns The Washington Post, and Walter W. Waters (Jose-Maria Aguila), founder and leader of the Bonus March and considered to be the Commander in Chief. He is an out-of-work cannery worker from Portland, Oregon, and a veteran of World War I.

While the interactions of these three people are fictionalized in the show, the historical things they did are presented accurately. McLean provided food and clothing for the marchers. Glassford initially supported the marchers but later was responsible for the first attempt to evict them from their camps. Waters created the march and support systems that kept the camps operating peacefully and in good order until the very end.

The entire ensemble gives superb performances, with many playing multiple roles. Some performances are exceptional. McKee perfectly embodies Lamar in the two scenes that establish the racial component of the times. She shows a woman of strength and purpose in both scenes in which she appears. Mader’s characterization of Lark is a solid portrayal of a woman in control of herself and her surroundings, representing a steadying influence in stressful times. Hawley’s performance as McLean brings a serious but light-hearted energy whenever she is on stage. She makes her character believable and accessible. Draper’s depiction of Glassford shows us a man in conflict with his feelings about the men and women in the camp and his duty to the office he holds when required to act with force.

Atlantic Stage 2 is a small venue, but Mark Evancho’s scenic design infuses the performance space with a feeling of a large area. His sets are also easily transformed to depict changes in time and place. As is always the case, the lighting design must work with the set design to help shift the scenic action and support the tone of the action. Calvin Anderson solidly accomplishes these challenges. Summer Lee Jack’s costume design defines the characters and is representative of the various periods. The show has times when songs are sung, music is heard, and other effects are depicted. Madison Middleton expertly accomplishes all of these tasks, including contributing original compositions. Completing this team is the properties designer Courtney Smith, whose work seamlessly supports the story’s various elements.

One final note. This production is from the Dogteam Theatre Project, a new company that “brings together college students and professional artists to create meaningful theatrical engagements for diverse audiences.” It was created to continue the 35-year tradition of Middlebury College’s commitment to producing socially and politically incisive theatre. It also provides a solid training environment for young artists to work closely with professional theatre artists.

A Hundred Circling Camps (in repertory with La Viuda, through August 4, 2024)

Dogteam Theatre Project in association with Middlebury College

Atlantic Stage 2, 330 West 16^th Street, in Manhattan.

For tickets, visit http://www.dogteam.org

Running time: 90 minutes without an intermission