Audience becomes reporters in ‘Edward Snowden’ at Oil Lamp – Chicago Tribune

Depending on who you ask, American-in-exile Edward Snowden is either a hero or a traitor. His former employers in the U.S. intelligence community take the latter view. As an employee of the National Security Agency, Snowden had access to classified documents dealing with the NSA's surveillance of U.S. citizens. Snowden released reams of them to journalists, then fled to Russia where he has been granted asylum. With "The People's Republic of Edward Snowden," Glenview's Oil Lamp Theater revives a rarely seen drama, and puts the audience smack dab in the middle of the Snowden controversy.

Chicago playwright WC Turck's interactive piece has been done only once before in the Chicago area, when Prop Thtr produced it shortly after Russia granted Snowden asylum in 2013. "I think it's more timely now than ever," says Oil Lamp founder and "People's Republic" director Keith Gerth. "We've actually been considering doing the play for several years, but we wanted to wait until we felt it could really resonate. After the election, we decided that time was now."

Intelligence leaks, questions about Russian connections and the Oval Office's declaration that the country's media is the "enemy of the American people" all make the story of Edward Snowden resonate intensely, says Gerth, of Northbrook. And while the play doesn't take a side on Snowden's actions, it does demand the audience think long and hard about whether surveillance and other post-9/11 security checks are a valid safeguard against terrorism or a threat to civil rights or both.

Snowden's leaks made that debate front page news as reporters around the world penned stories about the National Security Agency's ongoing surveillance of unsuspecting United States citizens. For those who see Snowden as a hero, his actions uncovered a government agency willing to ride roughshod over fundamental privacy rights. For those who see him as a traitor, Snowden's actions created a grave threat to national security and very possibly abetted would-be terrorists.

"I can understand both sides that our information gathering capability can be both a blessing and a curse," says Gerth, "but I've also been thinking that if anybody decided to start monitoring my research lately I might be in trouble. They'd be like, 'Why is this guy so obsessed with Edward Snowden and spying?'"

Oil Lamp's production gives the audience a chance to question the leading players directly. The play is set during a Moscow press conference; the audience becomes the press corps. Ticket holders can ask questions by putting their hand up or via text. As the cast performs on stage, the backstage crew monitors Facebook and Twitter feeds specially set up for the show.

Gerth hopes the audiences leave the show thinking about both sides of Snowden's unauthorized data dump, and pondering a world where finding the balance between safety and unwarranted surveillance is growing ever more difficult.

"I think we gave up a lot of our freedoms with the Patriot Act," says Gerth. "The question now is how much more are we willing to give up? How much do we need to give up to ensure our safety? And how much do we need to know about what the government is doing to us in the name of keeping us safe? I feel like every day, the answers become more complicated."

'The People's Republic of Edward Snowden'

When: March 9 through April 16

Where: Oil Lamp Theatre, 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview

Tickets: $35, includes free soft drinks and refreshments

Contact: 847-834-0738; http://www.oillamptheater.org

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Audience becomes reporters in 'Edward Snowden' at Oil Lamp - Chicago Tribune