ABOUT THE TRILOGY:
The Honor and Glory of Whaling is a trilogy of plays written by Michael Gorman that chart the rise and fall of a young commercial fisherman. Inspired by the life and death of the playwright's oldest brother, a commercial fisherman, to a heroin overdose, the plays deal with the issue of addiction and recovery in the commercial fishing industry of New England.
Described by Backstage magazine as “Trainspotting meets the Perfect Storm” in reference to films that address the contradictions and harsh realities of urban addiction and of commercial fishing, the trilogy shines a light on unspoken hardships and the toll they take on both family and community.
The three plays in the trilogy--If Colorado Had An Ocean; The Honor & Glory of Whaling; and Ultralight —contain interwoven stories and characters, however each of the three plays can also stand alone as independent works. The plays have been produced individually, but have yet to be produced and presented together, which Gorman hopes to be able to do at some point in the near future.
The trilogy is the centerpiece of the epic project “CHASING THE NEW WHITE WHALE—Harpooning Addiction”— an evolving series of environmental installations, readings, presentations, and performances dedicated to bringing awareness to the issue of opiate addiction in the commercial fishing community of New England and beyond. Gorman's production— "Chasing The New White Whale" —was condensed from the Trilogy and premiered in 2018 at The Ellen Stewart Theater at La MaMa Theater in New York City where Mike is a 'Playwright in Residence'.
Work around the trilogy and project "Chasing The New White Whale" continues to evolve as part of an arts & advocacy/"arts intervention" model created by Gorman to address the issue of opiate addiction in the commercial fishing industry. More info here.
The Honor and Glory of Whaling is a trilogy of plays written by Michael Gorman that chart the rise and fall of a young commercial fisherman. Inspired by the life and death of the playwright's oldest brother, a commercial fisherman, to a heroin overdose, the plays deal with the issue of addiction and recovery in the commercial fishing industry of New England.
Described by Backstage magazine as “Trainspotting meets the Perfect Storm” in reference to films that address the contradictions and harsh realities of urban addiction and of commercial fishing, the trilogy shines a light on unspoken hardships and the toll they take on both family and community.
The three plays in the trilogy--If Colorado Had An Ocean; The Honor & Glory of Whaling; and Ultralight —contain interwoven stories and characters, however each of the three plays can also stand alone as independent works. The plays have been produced individually, but have yet to be produced and presented together, which Gorman hopes to be able to do at some point in the near future.
The trilogy is the centerpiece of the epic project “CHASING THE NEW WHITE WHALE—Harpooning Addiction”— an evolving series of environmental installations, readings, presentations, and performances dedicated to bringing awareness to the issue of opiate addiction in the commercial fishing community of New England and beyond. Gorman's production— "Chasing The New White Whale" —was condensed from the Trilogy and premiered in 2018 at The Ellen Stewart Theater at La MaMa Theater in New York City where Mike is a 'Playwright in Residence'.
Work around the trilogy and project "Chasing The New White Whale" continues to evolve as part of an arts & advocacy/"arts intervention" model created by Gorman to address the issue of opiate addiction in the commercial fishing industry. More info here.
With this trilogy, my goal was to create the opportunity to observe ourselves as a community and help us understand that opiate addiction is a disease for which there is tremendous need for more education and treatment,” — M. Gorman.
PLAYS IN THE TRILOGY:
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PART I — LOOMINGS/
IF COLORADO HAD AN OCEAN When old high-school friends Steven and Big John—an aspiring commercial fisherman and a long-distance truck driver—reunite on a hotel construction site in New Bedford Massachusetts in 1988, the stage is set for a fishing and drug fueled adventure worthy of the elusive pursuit and chaotic final chase of Moby Dick. More... |
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PART II — THE CHASE /
THE HONOR AND GLORY OF WHALING An epic tale that follows the fate of legendary New England fishing captain Robby Foerster and his boat "The Northern Star". After a fateful first encounter with heroin—the "Great White Whale" of the modern fishing community, Robby falls deeply into addiction. The play explores the role of myth and storytelling as both sustaining and destructive forces in a Northeast coastal fishing community, engaging the audience in a dramatic critical debate as to what extent tragedy, held to be inherent in the fishing community, might be avoidable. More... |
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PART III — EPILOGUE /
ULTRALIGHT UltraLight is a play about a younger brother's struggle to help his older brother fight his heroin addiction. The play takes the form of a dramatic parable, with the younger brother cast in the role of a fisherman and the older brother cast in the role of a trout. Interwoven with the present-time action of the play is a mythical story that explores the lessons to be learned from addiction about the bonds of brotherhood, wilderness, story telling and integrity—what it means to be alive, "really and truly" alive. More... |
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