~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
611 $upreme

by E. Hunter Spreen
review in SF Weekly by Karen Macklin (June 26, 2002)

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611 $upreme
A passionate, timely play about the fine line between activism and terrorism
BY KAREN MACKLIN

Unlike many of the new plays that regularly
pop up around town, E. Hunter Spreen's
14-character foray into the modern worlds
of politics and fanaticism is no spring picnic.
Or, to say it like a true Californian: The play
is heavy, dude. And that is refreshing.
Spreen spins the tale of a wealthy real estate
developer named Mr. Swift, who's building
golf courses for the rich and famous atop
natural wetlands. Meanwhile, a young
environmental activist is torn between his
girlfriend's method of protest (handing out
leaflets and staging rallies) and the zealous
practices of an old buddy (who's recently
spent some time in the slammer for taking
things a little too far). At the same time,
Swift's spoiled daughter (and her leftist
girlfriend) are tormented by the fact that
she's a trust-fund baby in a loving family of
capitalist crooks. The script is smart and
well constructed, not to mention timely,
exploring the hypocrisy inherent in any belief
system and the fine line that exists between
activism and terrorism. While it feels as
though the playwright is trying to be
objective, it's obvious where his sentiments
lie. (Swift may love his wife, but Spreen still
paints him as evil incarnate.) The most
admirable character in the play -- and
perhaps the most important in
communicating the complexities of radical
politics in a capitalist, democratic society --
is Mitchell Trexler, the cop who mediates
the political war between Swift and his
aggressors. As Trexler attempts to protect
the rights of all involved, he embodies
Spreen's thesis: Everyone's right (or, more
likely, wrong), but someone's got to be the referee. Director Susannah
Martin, with the assistance of a passionate cast, does a fine job
orchestrating the nearly three-hour epic; it's a provocative piece of writing,
if a tad too long.

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