Desert
land comprises a majority of Iraq’s
168,000 square miles, so it would seem to be a strange setting for an outdoor
play staged in the lush wooded area of Spring Green, Wis. But it wasn’t the location that led
playwright and American Players Theatre
(APT) co-founder James DeVita to write Desert
Queen, a drama about influential British archaeologist Gertrude Bell. The
idea came a few years ago, when DeVita challenged himself to write a piece for
Sarah Day, a longtime member of the APT Core Acting Company.
It’s
a sad truth that the number of truly great roles for women dwindles as they
advance in age, so DeVita set out to create a proper role for the extremely
talented Day. Thus came the story of Gertrude Bell, a somewhat unsung female of
the British Empire in the late 19th and early
20th centuries.
Some
historians have noted Bell’s influence—a few have even written books about
her—but her contributions to the history of the Middle East aren’t as widely
recognized as those of her contemporaries, such as Lt. Col. Thomas Edward
Lawrence—aka Lawrence of Arabia. So DeVita had his work cut out for him in
building a script around a historical figure who has often been overlooked by
writers of stage and screen.
The
greater challenge, perhaps, is handed to Day, who must forge a believable
performance out of a script that details the life of someone whose exploits
seem so fantastic. Bell, who graduated with
honors from OxfordUniversityat
the age of 19 at a time when few women were attending college,briefly went on to do some
mountaineering in Switzerland.
Later she traveled to the Middle East, and, through her extensive writings,
became a major political figure in Iraq. Day, who has given life to so
many roles around the margins of APT, should positively shine in this one-woman
show.
The
final of two performances of Desert Queen
makes it to APT’s stage Sunday, July 27, at 6 p.m.
