Balancing Fact and Fiction

Fictionalized 'No Greater Love' filters history to present the truth

Museums and history books are charged with archiving history. I was, therefore, surprised at the university history professor's answer to my question about the best book to read to learn about 19th century Russian history. I was expecting to hear that I should obtain a specific university level textbook. Rather, the recommendation was to read Tolstoy's "War and Peace" – a book of fiction.

Can fiction actually enlighten history? Yes, because excellent historical fiction often expresses history from the inside-out in the present moment rather than from the outside-in ex post facto.

To compose a musical work for the stage such as "No Greater Love," the story is told from the inside-out by inventing conversations, scenes and characters to frame actual events. The process begins by establishing a story line that presents the critical essentials. Much of what will happen on the stage must be invented because, in fact, the characters on the Mother Lode stage on June 9-10, 2017, will not really be working in the Granite Mountain/Speculator mines in 1917; the people playing the roles are acting, pretending to be someone who lived in 1917. The actor playing Manus Duggan, for example, will not look at all like the photos of Manus Duggan. The clothes he wears are not the same.

We know what may have happened at the 2400-foot level during the Granite Mountain/Speculator Mine fire from the recorded statements made by the disaster survivors at the coroner's inquest. There are so many stories there; in fact, there are too many stories to include in one two-hour production. Through lighting, make-up, stage movement, scenic design, sound effects and music, a compelling story-line will be presented that requires the trust and investment of the imagination from the audience members and from all those involved in producing "No Greater Love." Although inspired by history, "No Greater Love" involves filtering that history down to tell the best story and finding the proper balance between what we know happened and what must be invented to present the truth of the matter.