Taking on Social Issues Through Theatre:

Fran Page, a senior Theatre major with an option in Acting and a Bradford, NH native, is one of the most charismatic, energetic, enthusiastic individuals on campus. Heavily involved with both ALSO and Plymouth Players, his flair for the stage has embedded within him a deep sense of dedication for taking social issues that affect so many and displaying them for all to see. In his four years at Plymouth State, Page’s own life has been impacted by many professors and friends, even those he can’t remember how he met. “Beth Cox is an inspiration; Heather Hamilton has a passion that goes above and beyond anything I’ve ever seen in my life; Dan Perkins makes me strive for greatness; Trish Lindbergh has been my support forever; Robert [Miller] has become such an inspiration, to work with someone who has such incredible vision and writes so wonderfully; and my dear, good friend, Rob Dimmick.” Of course, the people Page meets on a daily basis inspire him just as much, especially when there is a common goal to create art; this brings about a sense of excitement for Page in the process of creation as a performer or director. Even when there isn’t necessarily art at play, Page’s overall excitement about life earns him countless friends instantaneously. “I’m always like, ‘Oh my god, you’re fabulous, I love you, let’s be friends!’ I just get inspired.”That amazing zeal and positive attitude makes Page one of the most brilliant actors on campus. Having performed an extensive resume of shows at Plymouth State, his understanding of character behavior, especially since many of the characters he has performed varied in degrees, is unique. He played Charlie Brown in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and Fagan in Oliver before coming to Plymouth. At Plymouth performed in Sound of Music and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, was the frog-suited Mr. Bungee in A New Brain, the manipulative, elixir-selling Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, the flamboyant reporter Ted Bell in ETC’s Frindle, the Herald in ETC’s Cinderella, the dashing prince of Rapunzel in Sondheim’s Into The Woods, and the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance. For Page, the acting doesn’t end as the curtains close.”[On the stage] acting is about motivation and what goals, what objectives certain characters want and need and how they get there. I think that acting does not stop on the stage because we put up an act for different situations in our world, what motivates us…we all act in our everyday lives,” Page explained.In addition to his acting, Page has also directed at Plymouth State for two of the most dramatic pieces that he says will carry with him for a long time. Just a few months ago, Page directed Dr. Robert Miller’s play Opening the House, a story of a family dealing with gay, lesbian, and heterosexual issues. Although already acquaintances with Dr. Miller, Page was introduced to the play by Professor Liz Ahl, who approached him in Rounds Hall and said, in page’s words, “Robert Miller wrote a play. You have to direct it.” Page took the initiative and immediately went to Dr. Miller’s office, telling him that he wanted to direct Miller’s play. After a un-put-down-able reading, Page knew it was a play he wanted to direct. “I thought it spoke to people who were gay and lesbian and straight. It was an important piece because I think we need to have positive gay and lesbian art.”As an actor and director, Page admits there are “challenges everywhere.” Whether it is communicating his overall vision of a play to his actors as a director or bouncing emotions and physical movements and ideas off of his peers while he acts, Page said that both realms of the theatrics are “a completely different world.” But he enjoys doing both as much as he can.The spring project of Opening the House was Page’s second directing experience at Plymouth State, the first Page’s directorial debut with The Laramie Project in the spring of 2003, a play he had a strong desire to bring to Plymouth State. The Laramie Project dealt with the tragic death of student Matthew Shepard, murdered because he was gay, and the outcome for all the individuals directly and indirectly involved in Matthew Shepard’s life. Page felt that the issues attached to The Laramie Project were “crucially important” to bring to Plymouth’s campus in order to make the student body aware of hate crimes and the often tragic outcomes of tolerated hate.”Directing The Laramie Project was an easier process because it was mostly monologues. I could do a lot of one-on-one work with the actors and we didn’t have to rehearse as a whole much at all. Opening the House was all about the ensemble. It was about how the characters interacted with one another,” Page stated, adding that it was also a personal triumph for Page and taught him about stylistic directing, performer interaction, and simply bringing the emotional aspects of the piece to life within the audience.”Those two productions have showed me that gay and lesbian theater is the kind of theater that I want to do.”Through his work with ALSO and Plymouth Players, Page was able to achieve his own personal goals of bringing Judy Shepard to Plymouth to speak about her son, putting The Laramie Project on stage, and finally directing Opening the House for members of the student body to watch. Strangely enough, he never considered himself to be an activist until he enrolled in college. Wanting to network a community for himself and other gay, lesbian or bisexual students, Page became enthralled with bringing social issues of hate, abuse and sexual assault to the stage. “It really help me,” Page commented, adding that his work with ALSO and Plymouth Players to produce socially important plays allowed him “to stop hate and intolerance.”Page believes that people’s perceptions of gay and lesbian theatre have changed immensely. His only problem? Getting people to come to plays revolving around these social issues that don’t already want to be there. “It’s like preaching to the choir,” Page admitted, “I find it sometimes hard because the people who need to see it don’t always come.”When Opening the House premiered at Plymouth State, Page got his wish. “Nobody really knew what it was about,” he said, adding that those who were pleasantly surprised by the play’s storyline gave interesting responses after viewing it. Students from Dr. Fischler’s Cultural Diversity class, Page remarked, told him that, while they weren’t gay themselves, they were surprised that the play evoked such stirring emotions and changed their perceptions of gay theatre and gay culture. Four years ago, Page said, that would not have been the case.”We’re at a much better place…from when I walked through these doors.” His only fear, after working so hard towards making the campus aware of such important social issues surrounding being gay, lesbian, or bisexual, is that many have arrived at a feeling of being too safe and comfortable. “We don’t think that hate could hinder us. It’s when we get too safe or too relaxed that something horrible could happen.” However, Page feels that the work of the social organizations on campus that deal fiercely with sexual violence, sexual assault, domestic violence, hate crimes, and intolerance have created an inviting world where students don’t have to worry about adverse situations in the future.”I don’t fear on this campus. We’re not a place that would tolerate hate.”Another project that grips Page is his work with the play Voices, a “potpourri” of monologues, song and dance dealing with youth social issues. The play, which still tours the state today, gave Page and many other students at his high school in Bradford, NH, the strength and will to stand up against the hate.”Those elements…they’ve been the most beneficial experiences.”Involving the community in his work is another element of his passion for theatre. Whereas academia can be affected by social issues, Page believes that, because of an often like-minded student nature, the surrounding community is more affected by issue-based plays because they haven’t been as exposed to it. “It makes them really think,” Page added.Page’s love of issue-based theatre allows him, not to make a political statement, but to make the audience think about the play they are watching and the way it connects to their own lives. “I feel like sometimes I’m the queen of social issues!” he joked. His main focuses have been alcoholism, abuse, war, and hate, remarking that the importance of each issue is intensified when it is a focus of a play he is doing. “I felt as equally passionate about pedophilia when I assistant directed How I Learned To Drive.”Although he feels that the social issues in the media are hardly discussed to the point they need to be, adding that the stereotypical behaviorism of gays or lesbians on stage and film are also lacking in realism, Page hopes to continue his work in gay theatre to end the stigma attached to certain issues. His desire to bridge the gap between realistic and artificial homosexual portrayals in media fuels his aspiration for continue working with gay and lesbian theatre.In the immediate future, Page hopes to direct Baltimore Waltz by Paula Vogel, a play about Vogel’s brother dying of AIDS, Execution of Justice by Emily Mann, which deals with the murder of gay city councilman Harvey Milk, and Still Life by Emily Mann because of its focus on the reality of war.After graduating, Page hopes to work as a theatre teacher or theatre chair at a prep school in order to work with teenagers and give them access to interesting, groundbreaking theatrical movements. Although his ultimate goal is going to graduate school, Page is hoping to take a break before heading off to the sunnier, warmer areas of the United States to receive either a Masters degree in Acting and Directing or a Masters degree in Education. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, Fran Page is sure to make headlines. If not just for his energetic passion for theatre, than for his energetic passion towards bringing everyday issues that affect society to the light. This intense fervor for community and youth outreach is not an attribute that you see in most college students. But with Fran Page, it’s another element in him that could make anyone want to dream, want to be involved and want to care.