The Farm Bill

THE FARM BILL is a short, funny play, perfect for introducing classes and organizations to the human impacts of agro-politics. Luana is a clerk at the mammoth U.S. Department of Agriculture. One day she decides that what she is doing may really be bad for the country. So she launches a one-woman revolution that, for a few amazing moments, actually interrupts the smooth operation of the government. In a single taut, fascinating act, award-winning playwright Susan Dworkin takes us back to the revolutionary 70s - the environmental movement, the women's movement, the emergence of corporate bioscience, Earl Butz and the Russian wheat deals -- and how all that impacts the personal lives of her characters. As a reading or a full production, THE FARM BILL is exceptionally easy to put on. Four characters: two men, two women. A simple set.The play runs about 35 minutes (sometimes more with the laughs.) The issues of the play are with us always. Who controls the food supply? What's the trade-off between saving the planet and growing enough food for everyone? What happens to the soul of the people when all connection to the land is lost? And the royalties are most reasonable, as potential producers will discover when they contact dividedlightprojects@susandworkin.com.
About the Author: Susan Dworkin's first job out of college was at the US Department of Agriculture in Washington. For a New York City girl, witnessing the clash between old fashioned farm values and futuristic corporate bioscience was a real mind blower. Her play THE FARM BILL and her book THE VIKING IN THE WHEAT FIELD reflect her continuing fascination with agro-politics. Her book THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE, about one woman's astonishing escape from the Holocaust, is now an international best seller. MAKING 'TOOTSIE' is a unique insider's view of Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange and the classic film comedy. Susan's fiercely funny, political plays -- THE BAKING SONG, THE OLD MEZZO, THE MIAMI DIG, ALL DAY SUCKERS, THE BOOK OF CANDY -- have been produced widely and will soon follow THE FARM BILL into print. As a contributing editor to MS. MAGAZINE, she interviewed Meryl Street, Whoopi Goldberg, Roseanne Barr and Danny Glover long before they were famous. She is well known as an exciting, humorous speaker and has taught writing in Los Angeles, New York and at Tufts University. Here's what her fans have to say: "Susan Dworkin's plays have the ability to draw us into new dreams of justice and to make them irresistibly practical, humorous and human." Gloria Steinem, writer, editor, activist. "It was a thrill to have Susan at the Festival of Books. We heard great, immediate feedback on her vibrant, informative presentations!" Jennifer Widman, Director, South Dakota Center for the Book, SD Humanities Council. "THE FARM BILL was a smash at the Becket Arts Center! Susan's creative interpretation of the conflicts and dilemmas faced by farmers in the US was brilliantly portrayed, with insight, wisdom and a lot of laughs." Sally Soluri, Becket (Massachusetts) Arts Center. To contact Susan, follow her blogs and her appearances, check out her website: www.susandworkin.com.