May 4th Voices

by David Hassler

Eyewitness testimony brought to life through verbatim theaterOn May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen occupying the Kent State University campus fired 67 shots in 13 seconds, leaving four students dead. This tragedy had a profound impact on Northeast Ohio and the nation and is credited as a catalyst in changing Americans’ views toward U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Supported by the Ohio Humanities Council, May 4th Voices was originally written and performed as part of a community arts project for the 40th commemoration of the events of May 4th.The text of David Hassler’s play is based on the Kent State Shootings Oral History Project, begun in 1990 by Sandra Halem and housed in Kent State University Libraries’ Department of Special Collections and Archives. The collection is comprised of over 110 interviews, with first-person narratives and personal reactions to the events of May 4, 1970, from the viewpoints of members of the Kent community; Kent State faculty, students, alumni, staff, and administrators who were on campus that day; and National Guardsmen, police, hospital personnel, and others whose lives were affected by their experience. Weaving these voices and stories together anonymously, Hassler’s play tells the human story of May 4th and its aftermath, capturing the sense of trauma, confusion, and fear felt by all people regardless of where they stood that day.Directed by Katherine Burke, May 4th Voices premiered on May 2, 2010, on the Kent State University campus. It offered the Kent community an opportunity to take ownership of its own tragic story and engage in a creative, healing dialogue. Now, with the publication of the play and its accompanying teacher’s guide and DVD, May 4th Voices brings to a national audience the emotional truth of this tragedy, connecting it to the larger issues of war, conflict, and trauma. A powerful work of testimony, May 4th Voices offers a new and unique contribution to the literature of the protest movement and the Vietnam era.**See also the May 4th Voices DVD (ISBN 978-1-60635-187-1) and A Teacher’s Resource Book for May 4th Voices (ISBN 978-1-60635-166-6).

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Director of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University. Ohio Poet of the Year, 2006; Ohioana Book Award, 2007.

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book detailed what Kent State was like leading up to the dreadful day, the day itself, and a little bit after May 4. I attended Kent State well after this happened. May 4th is a big deal there. They hold a vigil on the 3rd and they cancel classes between 11:00 and 1:00. I learned more from this book than I did as a student there.
You don’t think about how the students that were affected and the book allowed us to see into their thoughts. The way it was written made it a quick read. I urge everyone to read it.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent play. It is effective in many facets: it is informative, emotionally stirring, thought-provoking, and eye-opening. It is both educational and entertaining. It does a good job of providing a voice to the individuals involved in and directly affected by the May 4th, 1970 shootings at Kent State University. Very well done.