Writer and Charleston native Fred Thompson tells the fictional tale of real-life Republican heavyweight political consultant Harvey LeRoy “Lee” Atwater as he waits in purgatory for his soul’s assignment to heaven or hell. The new comedy is simply called Atwater.
In the play, the flamboyant titular character from South Carolina stands before Saint Peter to discuss his “win-at-all-costs” political maneuvering, which started in South Carolina and made him famous for serving as presidential campaign manager in 1988 to then-Vice President George H.W. Bush. Atwater, who died in 1991 at age 40 from a brain tumor, left a controversial legacy for using racially charged political tactics in his amped-up career.
PURE Theatre describes the play as a “laugh-packed cringefest reviewing the complex life of the mastermind behind some particularly dirty tricks in American politics.”
Expect hilarious performances by core ensemble members Camille Lowman as Satan, Brannen Daugherty as Atwater and Joy Vandervort-Cobb as Saint Peter. The show is directed by PURE’s co-founder and artistic director Sharon Graci, who said the comedic play is “exactly what we need right now.”
“I love directing new plays and developing world premieres,” she said. “It’s doubly fun when the play is a satire about American politics and the mastermind behind negative campaigning, Lee Atwater.
“Who among us, regardless of political affiliation or bent, doesn’t enter the campaign season with a bit of angst and then relief when it’s finally over? Atwater is like the proverbial spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down.”
Developed in the PURE lab
Thompson, the play’s writer, is a lawyer by trade. He said firsthand experience of the “dangers to the soul from an ego-driven life” inspired this exploration of Atwater.
Thompson first conceived of the play when he won an item five years ago in a fundraising auction for PURE.
“They actually were auctioning that you could write and direct your own play, and they’d cast and produce it,” he said. “When I got a call saying that I had won, I just laughed out loud.”
With the help of the team at PURE, Thompson developed the play about Atwater’s judgment day into a comedy. On Oct. 19, it celebrated its premiere. Thompson said his hope is that the play will make viewers laugh, regardless of their political leanings.
“It’s really about the predicament of your soul,” he said. “The question that comes through is: How in the world do you make those kinds of judgments to tell if you’re living a good life or not? It’s about that internal reckoning. More than anything, I hope you’ll laugh and be entertained.”
Atwater plays through Nov. 18 at the Cannon Street Arts Center. An ASL-interpreted performance will take place at 3 p.m. Nov. 11. A pay-what-you-will performance takes place Oct. 25. Tickets range from $45 to $53.
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