Mark Bennett: A chat between Debs and a saint? It's possible on stage, film

Oct. 16—It's like a Mike Neary painting coming to life onstage or in film.

Visitors to the eastside Terre Haute coffeeshop Java Haute no doubt have seen Neary's painting — an angular, artistic vision of eight local historic figures chatting over coffee.

That's similar to the concept Mark Frederick and his creative team have for the Iconic Voices Project, but using a different artistic platform and a slightly different mix of characters. The project aims to create a feature-length documentary and a full stage production starring legends of Terre Haute, portrayed by actors, of course.

Picture a chat between two icons of business and philanthropy Chauncey Rose (from the 19th century) and Tony Hulman (from the 20th century). Also onstage would be Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, foundress of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and the Sisters of Providence, and Madame Edith Brown, the most well-known brothel operator from the city's infamous, bygone red-light district. Poet Max Ehrmann and author Theodore Dreiser, two writers who rankled each other at times, would join the group, too. There would be a pair of activists — five-time Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs and suffragette, author and journalist Ida Husted Harper.

Some possessed dynamic personalities. Others held wealth and power. A few influenced millions in their day and generations later.

The idea clicked in Frederick's mind after he'd walked by reminders of those figures, like Ehrmann's seated sculpture downtown, Debs' home on North Eighth Street, the Walk of Fame plaques honoring others on the sidewalk along Wabash Avenue.

"I thought, 'Wait a minute. Something is sizzling here,'" Frederick recalled.

He realized the number of local people with a famous niche are many, too many to capture in an entertaining documentary or stage play. So, he boiled the field down to those with international notoriety or a dose of glitz in their stories.

Frederick assembled a team with talents befitting filmmaking and stage productions. So far, it's self-financed, Frederick said, but the door remains open to any "angels out there" willing to help. They hope to complete the film by next summer and put the play — which could feature additional Terre Haute notables (Scatman Crothers or Tommy John would be fun) — onstage by 2023. For now, they continue researching the original eight characters.

"We collect information on these people, as best we can, and then build a conversation between them," Frederick explained. "We've got to shine a light on where they complement and clash with one another."

The 66-year-old Frederick, a retired Indiana State University faculty member, grew up in Middlebury in northern Indiana and first came to Terre Haute in the 1970s to study political science at ISU. After graduating, Frederick, got a master's degree in Michigan, returned to ISU and earned his doctorate and also served on the faculty. He also got involved with Community Theatre of Terre Haute, where he directed productions such as "A Christmas Carol," "Miracle on 34th Street" and others.

He's long been familiar with the names of local legends like Hulman, Debs, Rose and others. Frederick hopes the film and play take Terre Haute audiences deeper into the characters' lives than "that one iconic picture they remember from sixth grade."

None will overshadow the others. "On the stage, they'll all be equals," Frederick said. "As we equalize these people on the stage, the people in the audience will see themselves as equal, too."

It's a fascinating prospect, but impossible in reality, at least. The earliest-born of the eight, Chauncey Rose, died in 1877, 24 years before the latest-born, Tony Hulman, took his first breath in 1901. Only one among them, Ida Husted Harper (1851-1931), lived during all of the others' lifetimes.

Actual timelines won't constrict the creativity of the film and play, though. The project doesn't intend to turn the icons into caricatures of themselves. "We want to keep the utmost respect for these people and for Terre Haute, Frederick said.

Still, it's also meant to entertain. Tom Johnson, an ISU psychology professor and a composer, serves as the project's music director. He'll score the film and stage production. Johnson sees some humor possible, even within the more serious figures, such as Debs.

Some of the labor and social justice pioneer's most significant work came in his elderly years. Johnson suggested the elder Debs could shuffle slowly up to the microphone and quip, "This is creeping socialism."

Johnson added, "So there might be playful sides to him to go with the seriousness."

Thus, Hauteans might see a more human side of these familiar names from the community's past and learn more about those influential people. Johnson, for example, had taught at ISU since 1993 and parked near the Debs Home and Museum for years, yet had never visited the facility. Lots of locals would say the same.

"I would be satisfied if this [project] helps people remember some of these figures," Johnson said.

It could help other communities around the country, too. Frederick, Johnson and their team hope the film and play from the Iconic Voices Project in Terre Haute becomes a template useable by other cities to artistically highlight their famous sons and daughters. In the meantime, Terre Haute provides a special pool of historic folks to serve as a role model for the idea. Once the film and play are complete, a broader cross-section of Hauteans will appreciate the town's deep heritage.

"Any projects that help bring disparate parts of the community together has the potential to do a lot of good," Johnson said.

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.

Getting involved

—Anyone wishing to help or offer ideas for the Iconic Voices Project can contact organizers by email at mark@parabolicvision.com.