The Wind Is Us: The Death that Killed Capote by Mike Broemmel, follows the life of author Truman Capote from his days researching his iconic “non-fiction novel” In Cold Blood until his death in 1984. The play stars Eddie Schumacher as Truman Capote and is drawn from first-person accounts of Capote’s time in Kansas researching the murders of the family at the heart of his masterpiece In Cold Blood.
From the recordings I’ve seen of Truman Capote, Eddie Schumacher captures him brilliantly: his iconic style, fondness for vodka and scotch whiskey, penchant for name-dropping and bestowing nicknames, and of course Capote’s signature gestures and way of speaking. Schumacher takes the stage as Capote after death to tell us his story. He charmingly captures Capote’s body language and storytelling style — moving from one story into a variety of winding side trips before coming back to the main point — and every bit of it enthralls. When Schumacher reads an excerpt from In Cold Blood at the Algonquin, we see that the intricate detail and poetic description that Broemmel uses in his script are true to Capote’s writing form. It would be easy for an actor to stumble over some of the wordier lines, particularly while speaking in Capote’s sibilant, high-pitched voice, but Schumacher clearly and convincingly brings Broemmel/Capote’s words to life.
The writing and delivery of the script are smart and dexterous. Of special note are the aside about tiger prawn tempura with ponzu dipping sauce (“It’s a wonder I didn’t pull out a testicle!) and the wonderful description of Holcomb, Kansas, the town where the murders occurred. Descriptions of the landscape, and local businesses, especially the one whose sign is no longer lit, bring the farming town to life.
The Wind Is Us reveals many fascinating details – from the root beer and aspirin cocktail that one of the convicted murderers habitually drinks to the story of Connie Gustafson, Capote’s preschool nemesis – that carry the story along, bring a nice level of comedy, and make the content sound quite authentic. When Schumacher tells the difficult and gut-wrenching story of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith’s executions, the audience is offered a theory about Capote’s death that, although we have no way of knowing to be true, seems heartbreakingly plausible.
Dear Hearts, Capote’s death received only “four f-cking paragraphs in the New York Times.” Schumacher’s final line in The Wind Is Us tells us that “the best part was taken somewhere else.” Indeed, this play may be that place.
“The Wind is Us: The Death that Killed Capote”
Written by Mike Broemmel
Performed by Eddie Schumacher
October 12, 2024
The 17th United Solo Festival at Theatre Row
The 17th United Solo Festival
September 24 – November 17, 2024
Theatre Row
410 West 42nd (btw 9th and 10th Avenue)
STEPHANIE EAGAN is a professional writer based in NJ. A fan of every type of live performance imaginable, from taiko drumming to political performance art, she travels the tri-state area and beyond in search of music, art, theater, and excellent coffee.
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