Speaking to the Past
Must one read Wikipedia before a show?
by Beat Rice
Zero Hour is a full length one-man show that tells the biographical story of artist, comedian, and actor, Zero Mostel. The play is written and performed by Jim Brochu, who knew Mostel personally.
Jim Brochu is a captivating performer who maintained an energy that is necessary to carry a one-man show. The context of his telling of his life story is an interview with a reporter from the New York Times. The reporter is invisible as Mostel responds to his questions and comments on his clothes. The audience eventually finds themselves in the position of the reporter, listening and responding to Mostel’s story. He starts off in chronological order, hitting on the most important and influential events in life. Act 1 focuses on the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and the blacklisting that occurred in the 40’s in America, which accused people (namely very influential artists and people in the entertainment industry with access to media) of being communists and conducting ‘Un-American activities’. The blacklisting of these individuals destroyed their careers, reputation, and even some lives. Zero tells his side of the story with passion and sadness, as we watch him relive those harrowing days through his memory.
