by Eward Allan Baker
     Performances at Altered Stages

 

      Time:  1984
Location:  Providence Rhode Island

  

In 1984 Bruce Springstten had just released his popular Born in the USA album and people were becomming aware of a fresh new singer on the music scene - Madonna. Ronald Reagan had just given a speech on January 29th about space being the final frontier in an effort to gain public support of NASA. In Providence Rhode Island, a race war betwen the Irish and the Italians, going back over a hundred years, was in full swing. Many middle class familier were finding money tight as unemployment was on the rise.

Edward Allen Baker's attention to detail and love of humanity, leads us to discover the America lurking across the tracks. It's the America stuffed full of the next pop sensation while a government completely removed from them talks about frontiers. It is the America that is still struggling to survive financially with little education and no safety nets. Carol (Yvonne Roen) and Bobby's (Chad Meador) confusion over their families issues and the American dream, makes North of Providence as heartbreaking as it is endearing.