Cade M. Sikora
Member
Hello all! I am a long-time pursuer of ET, but a first-time poster. Like many of us, I have been into the Titanic story since the mid-1990s (before James Cameron's movie, for the record 
).
In anticipation of the 111th aniversary of the loss of the Titanic, The Texas A&M University at Commerce Department of Theatre's New Play Development Initiative is proud to present the first of its Workshop Series: Flying In the Face of God. This archival recording of this radio play is available on SoundCloud for a limited time.
Trailer
Volume 1 (Prologue, Act I Scenes 1-6)
Volume 2 (Act I Scenes 7-12)
Volume 3 (Act II Scenes 1-12, Epilogue)
Flying In the Face of God is a ten-and-a-half-hour docu-dramatization in three volumes which weaves together twelve historical narratives of people crossing the Atlantic Ocean in pursuit of their dreams in April of 1912. Adventure becomes terror when they all find themselves unwitting players in one of history's greatest dramas.
The script is based primarily on the accounts of: Rhoda Abbott, Lawrence Beesley, Officer Joseph Boxhall, Kate Buss, Helen Candee, Minnie and Willie Coutts, Sidney Collett, Emily and Frankie Goldsmith, Archibald Gracie, Irene Harris, Esther and Eva Hart, J. Bruce Ismay, Stewardess Violet Jessop, Officer Harold Lowe, Edith Rosenbaum, Jack and Marian Thayer, Marion Wright, and Hugh Woolner.
The recording is a workshop recording meaning that the script is subject to revisions and the recording is "live" having only been edited for time, subtle rewrites, etc. The cast includes thirteen college students of the TAMUC Department of Theatre, each playing a handful of characters. For the most part, this recording was not rehearsed. Occasionally, extraneous noises can be heard on the recording.
Playwirght's Note: When I started writing this in 2014, my intention was to write a verbatim account of the disaster focusing on a handful of premonitions and what I thought were thrilling tales of survival (Edith Rosenbaum, the Harts, Archibald Gracie, etc). As I waded through the material I knew and and came to know, I discovered things that became far more interesting to me and set about sharing them. I leanred about passengers abd crew I had not considered before. Soon, twelve captivating and heartbreaking story arcs emerged about people and not just how they survived, but what they relied on to survive. And the loved ones they lost. Their stories paralleled, crossed over, ran in different directions, yet they all seemed to contain the same general messages.
We can all well appreciate that many accounts of the disaster are incomplete and contradictory and to tell this story, I made a number of choices which I felt were most appropriate based on these people's accounts and the heaps of material I found or which were made available to me. I am glad to say that this website and the many incredible people who use it proved invaluable in this process. ET and a number of the publications made available here do appear in the play's eight-page bibliography. Where possible, scenes in the play are presented verbatim or nearly verbatim. Where survivors left holes in their narratives, I have presented material which, at the very least I think is plausible and "could have happened" or which speaks to a personal truth which the historical figures expressed in life. All of the material presented has at least some context but none of it is above revision. I will be the first to admit that my understanding of events may not be the same as another's and it is not impossible that some events are presented irregularly owing to quirks of the playwrighting process or the editing process. History marches on and the script is always under revisions.
While the script will never be completely "done," I am comfortable sharing the play with you as it exists now. I hope that is generates some interesting conversation and I will be eager to hear your thoughts. The ET community is such a fantastic and unique place were so much material on a single subject resides and I am so grateful it exists. I share the work out of absolute gratitude and hope that you will appreciate the story and storytelling. You will no doubt recognize heaps of conversations from testimony and memiors, hear plenty of familiar tunes, and notice a handful of pop culture homages, all set in the context of the Titanic event and these twelve stories.
As the playwright, I am happy to answer any questions you have about how the work came to be. This recording was created for purely academic purposes as a test-run of a program we started to present new works and has not been marketed or part of any revenue-generating program. It is the product of an extracurricular group which we hope will continue and produce new works by our students and up-and-coming playwrights.
Content Warning: Disaster-related peril, violence, and death; discussions of domestic violence and suicide; and sound effects including gunshots, crashes, and explosions.
).In anticipation of the 111th aniversary of the loss of the Titanic, The Texas A&M University at Commerce Department of Theatre's New Play Development Initiative is proud to present the first of its Workshop Series: Flying In the Face of God. This archival recording of this radio play is available on SoundCloud for a limited time.
Trailer
Volume 1 (Prologue, Act I Scenes 1-6)
Volume 2 (Act I Scenes 7-12)
Volume 3 (Act II Scenes 1-12, Epilogue)
Flying In the Face of God is a ten-and-a-half-hour docu-dramatization in three volumes which weaves together twelve historical narratives of people crossing the Atlantic Ocean in pursuit of their dreams in April of 1912. Adventure becomes terror when they all find themselves unwitting players in one of history's greatest dramas.
The script is based primarily on the accounts of: Rhoda Abbott, Lawrence Beesley, Officer Joseph Boxhall, Kate Buss, Helen Candee, Minnie and Willie Coutts, Sidney Collett, Emily and Frankie Goldsmith, Archibald Gracie, Irene Harris, Esther and Eva Hart, J. Bruce Ismay, Stewardess Violet Jessop, Officer Harold Lowe, Edith Rosenbaum, Jack and Marian Thayer, Marion Wright, and Hugh Woolner.
The recording is a workshop recording meaning that the script is subject to revisions and the recording is "live" having only been edited for time, subtle rewrites, etc. The cast includes thirteen college students of the TAMUC Department of Theatre, each playing a handful of characters. For the most part, this recording was not rehearsed. Occasionally, extraneous noises can be heard on the recording.
Playwirght's Note: When I started writing this in 2014, my intention was to write a verbatim account of the disaster focusing on a handful of premonitions and what I thought were thrilling tales of survival (Edith Rosenbaum, the Harts, Archibald Gracie, etc). As I waded through the material I knew and and came to know, I discovered things that became far more interesting to me and set about sharing them. I leanred about passengers abd crew I had not considered before. Soon, twelve captivating and heartbreaking story arcs emerged about people and not just how they survived, but what they relied on to survive. And the loved ones they lost. Their stories paralleled, crossed over, ran in different directions, yet they all seemed to contain the same general messages.
We can all well appreciate that many accounts of the disaster are incomplete and contradictory and to tell this story, I made a number of choices which I felt were most appropriate based on these people's accounts and the heaps of material I found or which were made available to me. I am glad to say that this website and the many incredible people who use it proved invaluable in this process. ET and a number of the publications made available here do appear in the play's eight-page bibliography. Where possible, scenes in the play are presented verbatim or nearly verbatim. Where survivors left holes in their narratives, I have presented material which, at the very least I think is plausible and "could have happened" or which speaks to a personal truth which the historical figures expressed in life. All of the material presented has at least some context but none of it is above revision. I will be the first to admit that my understanding of events may not be the same as another's and it is not impossible that some events are presented irregularly owing to quirks of the playwrighting process or the editing process. History marches on and the script is always under revisions.
While the script will never be completely "done," I am comfortable sharing the play with you as it exists now. I hope that is generates some interesting conversation and I will be eager to hear your thoughts. The ET community is such a fantastic and unique place were so much material on a single subject resides and I am so grateful it exists. I share the work out of absolute gratitude and hope that you will appreciate the story and storytelling. You will no doubt recognize heaps of conversations from testimony and memiors, hear plenty of familiar tunes, and notice a handful of pop culture homages, all set in the context of the Titanic event and these twelve stories.
As the playwright, I am happy to answer any questions you have about how the work came to be. This recording was created for purely academic purposes as a test-run of a program we started to present new works and has not been marketed or part of any revenue-generating program. It is the product of an extracurricular group which we hope will continue and produce new works by our students and up-and-coming playwrights.
Content Warning: Disaster-related peril, violence, and death; discussions of domestic violence and suicide; and sound effects including gunshots, crashes, and explosions.
