Interview with the Editor: Checking In With Tom Isbell

by Luke Peterson, Theatre Newsletter Editor

As many SAU Theatre Newsletter readers may recall, I have been a writer for the Newsletter since my freshman year of college. While this year my role has shifted to Editor, I still wanted to have an active voice in each month's edition, going further than my responsibilities to send out article assignments, check for grammatical errors, etc. As I mentioned in my Welcome from the Editor article last month, the Newsletter has a marvelous 20-year legacy behind it, and this month, I want to start a new tradition: a monthly article called "Interview with the Editor."

With that being said, the first-ever "Interview with the Editor" article is with none other than An Enemy of the People adapter, Tom Isbell. Isbell has had an extensive career in the industry, working from New York City to Los Angeles, and I was very fortunate to have an interview with him about where his theatrical journey has taken him through the years, and why he decided to adapt An Enemy of the People, among many other topics.

Q: Tell me a little bit about your theatre background. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? Where are you working now, etc. ?
A: I grew up in Carbondale, Illinois, went to college at the University of Illinois (majoring in Theatre/Acting), then got my MFA in Acting from the Yale School of Drama. I spent 10 years as a professional actor in New York and Los Angeles, mainly bouncing around from TV show to TV show. I came to UMD (University of Minnesota-Duluth) in 1994, and haven't looked back.

Q: How did you become a writer?
A: Probably the way most writers become writers: by accident. As an actor, I started writing one-person plays for myself. Then I turned to novels (which I still write). Then I turned to writing documentary theatre. Then plays for Young Audiences. Then other things that interest me. I spend by far the most time working on my novels – I write every single day, no exceptions – and sometimes, when a project moves me, I will work on a play, which is what happened with Enemy.

Q: What inspired you to write this adaptation of An Enemy of the People?
A: I read that New York Times article (back in 2017) that spoke of the uptick of productions of the play, and as my colleagues here at UMD and I were talking about our upcoming theatre season, I volunteered to direct it. Before I knew it, I was committed to it, so I decided to read it again (it had been decades since I'd last read it). And frankly, I found it creaky and long-winded (and misogynist) and too long for my attention span. I looked at various adaptations (the Arthur Miller one is terrific, of course, and Steven Dietz has an interesting take on it), but I found a public domain translation and decided to make some changes myself. Little changes turned into big changes and before I knew I had rewritten most of it (including killing off the protagonist at the end of Act IV - oops). I wrote many, many drafts of the play – was obsessed with it, actually – because I was taken with how relevant the story still is. It's a story that needs to be told, again and again and again. Because it's still happening!

Q: What have you learned through writing and working on this play?
A: Many things. I've learned that people are hungry for this message, because people believe in what the Stockmanns are doing. I've learned that stewardship of the environment is a crucial part of our democracy. In terms of adaptation, I've learned it's better not too be careful. I spent two weeks in Norway a few years back, including a week in the Ibsen room at the National Library in Oslo. I was working on an adaptation of A Doll's House. I had access to incredible resources and learned a great deal, but my adaptation was way too safe. I was afraid of offending audiences. Only later did I realize that people aren't as familiar with these plays as I thought, and it's better to be bold and take risks than be careful. Careful kills.

Q: This play covers a number of topics that are "hot button" issues today: the environment, media, economics, public health, corruption and power, and so forth. What do you hope audiences will take home with them after experiencing this play?
A: Four words: It's still going on. And maybe if we realize that, maybe we'll reach a point where we say, "Enough is enough." I can only hope we reach that point. I can only hope there are enough Greta Thunbergs and Petra Stockmanns in the world to fight the many, many Peter Stockmanns.

Q: While the subject matter of this play is undoubtedly serious, there are certainly laugh lines sprinkled throughout the script. What do you feel is the role of comedy in dealing with intense social issues?
There's nothing worse than being preached at for hours on end in the theatre (or in books or movies). We need humor. "Funny is money." Laughter allows us to relax a little...and then the more serious point has a far better chance of landing. It's a balance, of course, finding how much is too much humor, or not enough. But it's an important conversation to have, either with oneself or with the production team.

Q: What was the best theatrical advice you ever received? How has that shaped you as an artist?
A: Lloyd Richards was the artistic director of Yale Repertory Theatre when I was in grad school, and he said his four favorite words in the theatre were "Be where you are." I love that. It applies to the character, of course, accepting the circumstances of the play and allowing yourself to be present in the scene. (It's all about being present on stage.) But it equally speaks to the actor, accepting where they are in their journey and not comparing themselves with others, not getting impatient, realizing they have learned much already and still have more to learn. A simple but valuable lesson.

Q: Lastly, what other projects/adaptations do you have in the works?
A: I have a new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac which is getting an inaugural production even as we speak, directed by a former student. And I'm juggling writing two novels, one set during the Holocaust, one set in the American West in 1868. Very different projects with very different themes.

All in all, many thanks to Isbell for his wonderful insights as to why An Enemy of the People continues to resonate with audiences today. His play is truly a wonderful adaptation and the themes presented are more relevant now than ever.

I highly encourage everyone to listen to Isbell's work brought to life when KALA 88.5 broadcasts An Enemy of the People on October 9-11. It's time we say, "Enough is enough."