The Tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald
NOVEMBER 10, 2007 Listen to this Story
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We think of maritime disasters as old lore -- something that happened to the salty dogs of the sea who lived a long, long time ago. So when the Edmund Fitzgerald met its fate on Lake Superior in 1975, it seemed like an anachronism. Ships weren't supposed to sink anymore.
Man-made indestructibility was on the minds of playwright Steven Dietz and songwriter Eric Peltoniemi in 1986, when they wrote a play about the tragedy called "Ten November." In a recent conversation Dietz said that he and Peltoniemi were not only trying to honor the crew members and their families, but to "investigate this notion that technology is flawless." Dietz has written a couple dozen plays but still considers "Ten November""the most meaningful."
Two years ago, for the 30th anniversary of the wreck, the play was adapted into the musical drama, "Gales of November." Here's an excerpt of Kevin Kling reading during the premier performance. (1:32).
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