Year One of the Empire
New York City Premiere
Metropolitan Playhouse
220 East 4th Street

Year One of the Empire presents the exact moment when America became an imperial power - the little known Philippine-American War at the turn of the last century. Its complex brew of U.S. belligerence, election politics, and public outrage offers shocking parallels to American wars in Vietnam, which inspired the play, and Iraq, which makes it contemporary again.

First published in book form by Houghton Mifflin in 1973, Year One was greeted as a novel work of history. It was produced by the Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles in 1980, running for several months, and won the Drama-Logue award for playwriting. Its New York premiere took place at the Metropolitan Playhouse in March 2008, with 11 actors playing over 50 roles.

The New York Times calls it "enlightening, entertaining." nytheatre.com writes that Year One is "rousing good drama...the best kind of documentary theatre, keeping us compelled and engaged throughout."
 

Post-Show Talk-Backs at Metropolitan Playhouse with the Authors, Director and Following Guests

Marilyn Young, Professor of History at NYU, March 9

Martin Duberman, author of In White America, March 16

Randy Gener, senior editor of American Theatre magazine, March 23

Paul Kramer, Associate Professor of History at the University of Iowa, moderated by Carol Martin, Associate Professor of Drama at NYU, March 30

 

Panel Discussion, Martin E. Segal Theatre at the City University of New York

With Joyce Antler and Elinor Fuchs, director, Alex Roe, and David Nasaw, Arthur M. Schlesinger Professor of American History at City College, moderated by Alisa Solomon, Director of the Arts and Culture Program at Columbia School of Journalism, March 10
 

Press and Interviews
nytheater.com review
New York Times review
Brandeis University interview with Joyce Antler
Year One of the Empire: Why We Wrote a Play About the Spanish-American War
Metropolitan Playhouse web page