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THE PARK by Eric Conger

Echoing the structure of Thornton Wilder’s OUR TOWN, Conger’s drama portrays the changes in a small heartland town south of Cleveland in the mid-to-late 20th century. The federal government has decided to create a national park in the valley along the Ottawa River. Change comes to the fictional town of Pinnacle, as homeowners are displaced, friends and neighbors quarrel, families split, and lives forever changed as residents struggle to live in the drastically transformed environment.

- Dramaturge Ann Hamilton

A NOTE FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT

"To say that The Park is a work of fiction is only half-true. Much of what you’ll hear in this play did happen in my Ohio hometown, and several of the characters you’ll meet are inspired by real people, most of whom are now gone. But to bring any set of historical events to the stage requires generous heaps of invention and The Park is no exception. It was always – and remains – a David and Goliath story, but more apt might be Wilder's Our Town, which I obliquely reference. Pinnacle is the poor sad sister of Grovers Corners and to my mind perfectly encapsulates heartland resentment of all things Washington. I won’t lie, I love visiting my lovely valley home and seeing none of the blight of the American landscape, despoiled in the name of consumer convenience. But I quickly remind myself of the cost: a town with a disappearing past and no authentic future." - ERIC CONGER

Axial Theatre is proud that THE PARK was developed in part in the SAFEHOUSE: Axial Playwright Series, followed by a staged reading at Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center. Additionally, the play received dramaturgy from Ann Hamilton and Martha Wade Stektee

DRAMATURGY

I worked as Eric’s dramaturg through two drafts of this play. He has built a meaningful, dynamic drama with a wealth of apt and effective references to OUR TOWN: early morning scenes where the children, parents and townspeople start an ordinary day; the heartbreak of family members facing life-changing choices; and the uneasy life after the Ottawa Valley National Park has been completed.

The author’s prose is delivered in clear and simple language, heartbreaking in its effectiveness in presenting real life in an unflinching and deeply affecting manner.

This play uses projections to portray the changing environment, and the town’s evolution is traced through images as well as dialogue. The author has compiled images to fit the narrative which the director and designer may use in production details.

I highly recommend this new American play. - ANNE HAMILTON

THE PARK by Eric Conger

​​DRAMATURGY

DRAMATURGY