Staging political dramas during election season

By Eric Logan, Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published October 18, 2024 at 2:23 PM EDT

Five smiling people sit at a table in a radio talk studio: the woman on the left in the foreground has shoulder length blonde hair and is wearing glasses, a long sleeved black shirt and black pants; the woman on the right in the foreground has long brown hair and is wearing a black sweater with a beige, white and grey pattern around the neckline and jeans; the man on the left in the background has short brown hair and a grey beard and is wearing glasses, an unzipped navy long sleeve sweatshirt and a navy t-shirt; the man on the right in the background is bald and has a grey beard and is wearing a blue and white plaid long sleeved button down shirt; the man at the end of the table has short grey hair and a grey goatee and is wearing glasses, a black long sleeved sweater, a black button down shirt and grey pants. — (foreground) Kerry Young and Sara Mayer-Fried, (background) Skip Greer and Eric Grode with guest host Eric Logan on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, October 18, 2024

A smiling man sits in front of a microphone at a table in a radio talk studio. He has short grey hair and is wearing glasses, a black blazer, a black button down shirt and black pants. — Guest host Eric Logan on "Connections with Evan Dawson"

Last month, the New York Times published a piece entitled, “The Nation’s Politics Are Dramatic. Now Its Dramas Are Political.” It explores theatrical productions that navigate the current state of politics.

According to the Times, “What the Constitution Means to Me” is the most-staged play in America for the second year in a row. Another production, “POTUS,” also made the list of frequently-produced plays.

Both productions are on Rochester-area stages this fall. Guest host Eric Logan and the teams behind those performances explore why audiences are drawn to politics on stage.

Our guests:

Eric Grode, director of the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications Program at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University
Skip Greer, director of “What the Constitution Means to Me” at JCC CenterStage
Sara Mayer-Fried, actor who plays Heidi in “What the Constitution Means to Me” at JCC CenterStage
Kerry Young, director of “POTUS” at Blackfriars Theatre