Playwright: Augustus Thomas. At: City Lit Theatre at the Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr. Phone: 773-293-3682; $25. Runs through: May 15
A phenomenon common to all wars is the swiftness with which the tides of battle turn, rendering an accurate assessment of either side's progress impossible even to those claiming to observe from a distance. Only when the conflicts have ceased irrevocably can the victories and losses be counted, the strategies evaluated and the causes analyzedmost frequently in post-bellum literature focusing on the human aspects overlooked in the flush of patriotic fever.
It is important to remember, therefore, when viewing Augustus Thomas' 1918 drama of undercover espionage during the American Civil War, that events now safely cached in centuries past were still within the immediate recall of audiences at its premierememories all the more vivid for having occurred, often literally, on their own front lawns. Our protagonista civilian whose brave service to his president is misunderstood by his neighbors, bringing suffering on himself and his family long after the treaties are signedwas, then as now, a figure familiar to citizens looking back on decisions made in haste and expediency. More than making a case for amnesty extended toward deeds committed amid conflicting public opinions, however, The Copperhead was also a plea to a nation, poised on the brink of WW I, for tolerance of Conscientious Objectorsin Thomas' play, wearing the titular copper badge proclaiming their convictionswho refused to participate in a military action they could not advocate in good conscience (hence the term).
Of course, you can't drop an unedited period text into a storefront performance space in 2011and not just because the original production included regiments of cavalry and foot soldiers on parade. Actors confronting the early dramas of American Realism must also grapple with dialogue reflecting pacing and rhythms very different than those encountered todaya potential pitfall rendering all the more commendable the formidable resistance to mockery of their material displayed by director Kathy Scambiatterra and her valiant cast. Instead, each company member embraces his/her role in generating unhurried narrative suspense sufficient to engage our emotions, the better to heed our story's cautionary lesson. Yes, we may smile at the occasional anachronismthe factory-made field-dispatch envelopes, for example, or the gaudy colors favored by costumer Richard Luriebut when the moment of our hero's redemption finally looms, the tension in the room is palpable.