The North Iowa Food Community Care Network and Wright Community Connections are pleased to announce the performance of Mary Swander’s new play Coop, starring Rip Russell, to be held Friday, June 26, at 1 p.m. at the Clarion Public Library, located at 302 N. Main St. in Clarion.

“Coop” is produced by Swander Woman Productions, a theatre company led by Mary Swander, of Kalona, Iowa, that creates and tours dramatic performances based on food, farming, and the wider rural environment. “Coop” is one of a series of award-winning created by Swander. Swander is also an author, past Poet Laureate of Iowa, and founder of Ag Arts (www.agarts.org)

This play is historical fiction, an enactment of true stories of Amish, Mennonite, and other conscientious objectors during WWI and WWII. The core story is taken from the oral history of a young Amish farmer draftee who boarded a train with other C.O.s–Mennonites, Quakers, Church of the Brethren, and Seventh Day Adventists–during World War II. This group of C.O.s, told they were bound to fight forest fires in Colorado, were interned instead in a chicken coop. There, they remained under guard for the rest of the war.

Few dramas have brought the story of Amish/Mennonite and other conscientious objectors to the world stage like we know of the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. While many C.O.s were treated with decency and respect during these war years, others suffered humiliation, torture, and even death at the hands of both townspeople and the military.

The Amish/Mennonite population was targeted for its fluency in the German language and their staunch refusal to kill others in war. They were thought to be naive about the war effort, given their isolation on their farms in the rural United States.

The play, masterfully performed by Rip Russell, is a one-person object theatre performance staged on a table with everyday objects representing the characters in the show. Russell pantomimes the action to a narration filled with music, sound effects and excerpts from old news reels. Watch traffic cones, dusters, balloons, and clothespins come to life, creating this gripping drama of the challenges German-speaking conscientious objectors endured. A quartet of Kalona Mennonites adds to the performance with recorded a cappella hymns in the Anabaptist tradition.

“This play was a great way to present a serious topic,” reflected Becky Ahrendsen, performance organizer. “I came away feeling like I learned something and was delighted by the process. I want to share it with everyone in our area; the discussion afterward is truly enlightening.”

The creation of the play took 10 years and involved research into the beliefs of peace churches, historical backgrounds of the world wars, and written oral histories of Amish/Mennonite conscientious objectors. Once her Kalona Mennonite neighbors heard about her project, they began coming into her studio with more stories, photos, and historical material from their families.

A freewill donation is requested to cover the performance.

Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are preferred, just call 515-523-3673.

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The play runs for one hour with a talk-back discussion following the performance.

Supplemental support provided by Becky and Jon Ahrendsen and a grant from The State Historical Society, Inc of Iowa.