When Chicagoan George Pullman died, he was placed in a lead-lined coffin inside a steel-reinforced concrete vault. These measures were taken out of concern that someone might try to dig up his body and desecrate his grave. That such considerations took place says a lot about the man Pullman had become. The 19th-century industrialist who developed luxury passenger railway cars for the rich had come to be hated by those who worked for him.
Some employees were working up to 16 hours a day. And when business started to decline in 1894, Pullman cut wages. Oppressive management decisions like those helped to prompt a nationwide strike that eventually grew to involve more than 250,000 workers. It was a very polarizing time in U.S. history—personified in the actions of legendary attorney Clarence Darrow, who went from representing the rail industry to working for the labor unions.
Pullman remains disliked by some to this day. A few years back, a production of a play about Pullman's life coincided with the appearance of graffiti on his monument in Chicago's Graceland Cemetery. A mixture of song, storytelling and history, Jeffrey Sweet's American Enterprise now comes to Milwaukee in a production being staged by Soulstice Theatre. The current confrontation in Madison should cast an interesting light on this drama about the clash between labor and wealth. The show will be directed by UW-Waukesha Theatre Department's Steven Decker, who is working with Soulstice for the first time. David Ferrie stars as Pullman, which should provide a unique contrast for a seasoned actor who also starred in a recent production of Clarence Darrow.
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Soulstice Theatre's production of American Enterprise runs April 28-May 14 at the Marian Center for Nonprofits. For more information, call 414-431-3187.
Theater Happenings
- This weekend, First Stage Children's Theater opens a stage adaptation of the classic children's book Miss Nelson Is Missing. The musical about a cruel substitute teacher haunts the stage of the Todd Wehr Theater April 29-June 5. To reserve tickets, call 414-273-7206.
- The Sunset Playhouse continues its season with the William Van Zandt and Jane Milmore comedy Love, Sex and the I.R.S. Two men pretend to be husband and wife for tax purposes April 28-May 22 at the Furlan Auditorium. Call 262-782-4430 for tickets.
