The story of Alexander Graham Bell turns out to be a much more complex and certainly more interesting one than is indicated by the ultimately boring phrase, “the inventor of the telephone.” This play raises questions about where that credit is actually due, and reveals why Bell, a generally sincere fellow, was so urgently motivated that he perhaps implemented some questionable practices.

The idea of having a year of plays written by Heights faculty, students, and alumni had always seemed interesting. Sometimes, as I dug through piles of scripts looking for plays that checked all the boxes, I thought a season of suddenly authored plays might be a last minute necessity. But this time around I knew it would be an exciting experiment, neither sudden nore last minute, but well-founded and developed. That assurance came from my knowledge of the enterprise and dedication already shown by several members of our community, including Graham’s playwright, Joaquin Bucheli. Joaquin’s range of experience with drama at and outside the Heights, as well as his ongoing forays into script writing on historical events and figures, were compelling reasons enough. When I saw his composition and storytelling for Graham, particularly his use of the flashback/flash forward structure, I was convinced that this is something our audience should see. I hope you enjoy the show, and thank you for being a part of the Heights Authors Showcase!