Southern Tier Actors Read is bringing the powerful story of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo to life with Trumbo: Red, White, and Blacklisted, in three performances this month at the Phelps Mansion Museum in Binghamton. Director Chris Nickerson joins us to discuss the production and the enduring relevance of Trumbo’s story.
“For people who are not familiar with Dalton Trumbo, he’s very well known for being one of the Hollywood Ten who were blacklisted in the late 1940s,” Nickerson explains. “He was an Oscar-winning screenwriter who wrote Exodus, Spartacus, Roman Holiday. He won an Oscar for The Brave One. He’s a big name in Hollywood.”
Trumbo’s refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee landed him in jail for contempt of Congress and ultimately forced him to leave the country. “He just refused to accept their authority,” says Nickerson. “It cost him, but in the end, he returned pretty triumphant.”
The play, written by Trumbo’s son Christopher, takes a unique approach to dramatizing history. “It’s created from letters written by Dalton Trumbo,” Nickerson says. “Letters to family members, fellow writers, the Writers Guild—plus sections of interviews with the committee and his return to America. The thing with him is, he’s such a brilliant writer. These letters are not LOL. These are four or five page letters where he tells you everything he’s feeling. He takes letter writing to an art form.”
Nickerson stars in the production alongside John Montgomery, who plays all the remaining roles. “I play Dalton Trumbo, and John plays my son, the narrator, the committee—every other character. We’ve done it before, and it now seems even more appropriate to revisit in a time where the country still has very serious divisions.”
Even though the play is constructed of letters, Nickerson says it is anything but static. “That’s the challenge. But each letter shows a different side of Trumbo. If you follow along, it’s a ride. It’s constantly interesting because he’s such a clever writer.”
Reflecting on why he’s returned to the play, Nickerson adds, “When I first read it, I thought it was brilliant. Now, with so many different opinions about the government and what’s happening to people because of their opinions, it just feels so relevant. I had to do it again.”
Southern Tier Actors Read presents Trumbo: Red, White, and Blacklisted November 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m., and November 16 at 2 p.m. in the ballroom of the Phelps Mansion Museum 191 Court Street in Binghamton. Visit the S.T.A.R. Facebook page for more information.