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In 1788 British prison ships, under the command of Arthur Phillip, arrive at Botany Bay, Australia, near the current-day Sydney. Many of the prisoners have been convicted of minor theft (stealing a loaf of bread was crime enough to earn deportation) and many of their wardens are military men who fought and lost the war against the American colonies. Both groups sense they have been condemned to exile.
At a time of extremely low supplies, barbaric punishments, and low hopes, Lieutenant Ralph Clark is assigned to stage a production of George Farquhar's comedy "The Recruiting Officer."
Using convicts, many of ...Read More
In 1788 British prison ships, under the command of Arthur Phillip, arrive at Botany Bay, Australia, near the current-day Sydney. Many of the prisoners have been convicted of minor theft (stealing a loaf of bread was crime enough to earn deportation) and many of their wardens are military men who fought and lost the war against the American colonies. Both groups sense they have been condemned to exile.
At a time of extremely low supplies, barbaric punishments, and low hopes, Lieutenant Ralph Clark is assigned to stage a production of George Farquhar's comedy "The Recruiting Officer."
Using convicts, many of them illiterate, as his cast, Clark has to learn to see them as equals in his task of sharing theater’s civilizing influence. The project immediately takes on political dimensions and meets with opposition among the other officers alienating Clark from many of his superiors. As rehearsals progress, the convicts find themselves questioning the way their society has defined them, allowing Clark to understand the importance of his task. Both funny and poignant, “Our Country’s Good” examines the worth of each of us through the redeeming and transforming powers of theatre.
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