Fishwrap

This afternoon Tom and I attended a performance of "Fishwrap" -- a comedy by local actor, humor writer and journalist Ben Bromley. It was sponsored by Artists for the Al. to support the ongoing restoration and preservation of the historic Al. Ringling Theatre, which provided a fitting venue for the production and is the recipient of all the proceeds.

As a side note, that building with the bay windows that you see beyond the Al. Ringling Theatre is where I worked

 in the Screnock & Screnock law office when Tom and I first came to the Dells eight years ago.

"Fishwrap" is the story of a small-town newspaper’s struggles against local corruption and the financial hardships posed by the rise of online news. Based on Bromley’s experiences in 17 years writing for Sauk County’s daily newspaper, The Baraboo News Republic, “Fishwrap” tells the story of a newspaper staff fighting internal corporate politics as they seek to break a major story. Meanwhile, they strive to keep the paper in the black as readers forsake paid subscriptions to read news online for free.

Oddly, yesterday I had gone online to see if I could find any reviews of the play, which opened last week. What I found instead was this item from a Glasgow news source, dated February 15, 2014:

IN AN age of crisis for the newspaper industry – with traditional economic models crashing about our ears, and the world of news moving online - there’s something both alarming and touching about a play like Fishwrap, Kieran Lynn’s short epic drama about one young woman’s journey through modern journalism.

Fishwrap
Oran Mor, Glasgow
Star rating: * * *

Playing at Oran Mor until today, and at the Gaiety Theatre, Ayr, next week, Fishwrap tells the tale of Caroline, a bright young journalism graduate who seizes the chance to take over a failing local newspaper in Clackmannanshire, and to try to inject some life into its circulation figures by the time-honoured methods of sexing up and dumbing down.

In Clackmannanshire, though, Caroline meets Thomas, the ex-editor she is replacing, a devastatingly handsome and principled guy – played very convincingly by Ben Clifford – who believes in old-fashioned news values, and in using journalism to expose the abuse of power; and when the ghastly Polly St James arrives from head office for an inspection visit, the plot reaches a crisis. The script is fast-moving, well-made, and just a shade naive; Thomas and Caroline are saved, in the end, when he receives a major job offer from The Scotsman. Fishwrap is a brisk, heartfelt play, though, about an important subject. And with Helen McKay and Louise Ludgate throwing in a pair of well-judged performances as Caroline and the dreadful Polly, the very caricature of a wicked newspaper lady, there’s plenty to enjoy in Fishwrap, and plenty to ponder, too.

 Mr. Bromley's comedy seems to have little in common with Kieran Lynn's effort, beyond title and the historical situation of the decline of the print news. But it seemed a bit fishy, shall we say, at first glance.

At any rate, Tom and I suspect that Mr. Bromley is more likely to win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism than for drama. For that, we wish him the best of luck!