The Agony of Colin Powell
by Dr. William A. Cook
Senior Directing Thesis of Ralph Saldana
Featuring Lavelle Wilson as Colin Powell
April 20th & 21st at 7:30 p.m.
Dailey Theatre
$5 General and $3 Seniors/Faculty & Students
The Colin Powell in this play is a representative character, not unlike Everyman, who must face his inner self, having lived a life contrary to the values, principles, and morals that had governed his behavior before his ascent to the pinnacles of power. The Colin Powell in the Bush administration has appeared at times to openly confront the decisions that drive this administration, yet has always backed down, accepted the necessity of the acts, or remained silent in acquiescence of them. That behavior gave rise to the intent of the play as it seemed to eloquently represent an individual in crisis — duty versus self. The play is a fictitious portrayal of a person in spiritual and emotional agony confronting his dark night of the soul.
As the play opens, Colin Powell returns to his NYC hotel having announced the removal of President Aristide from Haiti in 2004 by the U.S. against Aristide’s desires and international law. Haiti’s democratically elected President Aristide was removed from Haiti by the United States, by threat of force. Colin Powell stated that the U.S. would not send troops to protect the democratically elected government until a political solution had been reached. This action is a culmination of acts performed by the Secretary of State that forces him to confront his very soul. That confrontation comes in the form of the administrations major figures, all of whom Powell had to work with or suffer the consequences: Vice President Dick Cheney, often seen as the real President responsible for multiple crimes against humanity; Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense, who lied before Congress egging them on to war against Iraq that would cost nothing since the whole war would be paid for with Iraqi oil;Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who went daily to the microphones to defend the defenseless war and became a “rock star” for the media in the process; Carl Rove, the most despicable advisor to the President who built a reputation on lies and deceit; and the President who seemed at best to be ignorant of the havoc he created or perhaps was gleefully behind it all; followed by the ministers of war: Falwell, Graham, Robertson and Hagee all of whom draped Christ in bloody garments as an avenger and destroyer of human kind that their false prophesying of the Book of Revelation might be believed and their respective coffers filled to overflowing.
There follows a long reflection and confession as Powell recounts his journey to destruction, a tale of heroic proportions, made possible by self-deception to achieve the ultimate goal of power made possible through his climb to the status of Secretary of State of the United States. This long journey of the soul to eternal darkness illuminates the path of those who choose the pleasures and successes of this world but suffer the loss of their eternal soul.