This past winter I was fortunate enough to be cast in a staged reading of Michael Collins, a new musical by Ryan Cunningham and Joshua Salzman produced by the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern. I've been a huge fan of theirs since high school when a friend of mine got me hooked on the I Love You Because album––so working on their newest project was a dream come true.
The play follows the story of, you guessed it, Michael Collins, an Irish revolutionary who helped lead a rebellion against British occupation in the early 20th Century. What's most interesting about the story though, is what happens next. After an especially bloody campaign, the Irish succeed in compelling the British to negotiate a peace settlement. The treaty, which Collins helps to negotiate, would infamously separate Northern Ireland from the greater Republic of Ireland. Whether the realization of freedom merits compromising the rebels' dream of a united and independent Ireland becomes the major question of the piece. It's a question that would go on to divide Ireland against itself, dividing even Collins and many of his closest friends.
This ambitious story calls for a sizable ensemble of actors, representing various historical figures over almost a dozen years. I had a blast playing Lloyd George, the English Prime Minister determined to quell the rebellion with his formidable forces and dry wit. The question of when it's worthwhile to give a little in order to get a little will always be relevant in a republic of over 300 million people––particularly when unyielding adherence to one's own ideals dissuades a number of people from political participation altogether. I believe this complete aversion to compromise contributes to the routinely low voter turnout in modern American elections, not to mention congressional gridlock. I'm excited to see where this thrilling new show goes next, and remain grateful to have played a role in its own history.