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| Cast of Conscience (photo by Robert Wade) |
Taproot Theatre
Through October 24, 2026
Margaret Chase Smith was an American politician from Maine and the first woman to serve in both houses of the US Congress. Beside her ceiling-breaking political career, she is best known for standing up to the wild, rogue carnage of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, as he destroyed lives by simply announcing that well-known individuals were “communists.”
This extremely pertinent production of Joe Dipietro’s Conscience starred a superb cast of four: Alyssa Keene as the indomitable Chase Smith, Jonathan Swindle as McCarthy, Christopher Clark as Chase Smith’s staffer, William Lewis Jr., and Kelly Karcher as Jean Kerr, McCarthy’s staffer and eventually wife.
The script is fast-paced and an invaluable artistic review of a terrible time in our political history. Director Karen Lund’s choice of play reminds us that there are historical precedents for tyrannical political times at other moments of our history.
The script itself does get a tad repetitious and a bit preachy, as if DiPietro didn’t trust the audience to “get it,” but the cast performs with gusto. Keene shines as Chase Smith with implacable verve.
Swindle is pretty jaw dropping as McCarthy – channeling the man, even though the actual McCarthy was much smaller (why do these small bombastic men keep getting people to follow them?). He growls, shouts, intimidates, and ultimately falls apart as alcoholism takes hold.
This was a powerful experience for those who saw it.
For more articles and reviews, go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. Subscribe to your inbox at https://MiryamsTheaterMusings.blogspot.com
Through October 24, 2026
Margaret Chase Smith was an American politician from Maine and the first woman to serve in both houses of the US Congress. Beside her ceiling-breaking political career, she is best known for standing up to the wild, rogue carnage of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, as he destroyed lives by simply announcing that well-known individuals were “communists.”
This extremely pertinent production of Joe Dipietro’s Conscience starred a superb cast of four: Alyssa Keene as the indomitable Chase Smith, Jonathan Swindle as McCarthy, Christopher Clark as Chase Smith’s staffer, William Lewis Jr., and Kelly Karcher as Jean Kerr, McCarthy’s staffer and eventually wife.
The script is fast-paced and an invaluable artistic review of a terrible time in our political history. Director Karen Lund’s choice of play reminds us that there are historical precedents for tyrannical political times at other moments of our history.
The script itself does get a tad repetitious and a bit preachy, as if DiPietro didn’t trust the audience to “get it,” but the cast performs with gusto. Keene shines as Chase Smith with implacable verve.
Swindle is pretty jaw dropping as McCarthy – channeling the man, even though the actual McCarthy was much smaller (why do these small bombastic men keep getting people to follow them?). He growls, shouts, intimidates, and ultimately falls apart as alcoholism takes hold.
This was a powerful experience for those who saw it.
For more articles and reviews, go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. Subscribe to your inbox at https://MiryamsTheaterMusings.blogspot.com
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