Save Our Steel in the News

From The Express-Times - Monday, July 05, 2004

A fuller house for drama's finale

By Josh Pontrelli

BETHLEHEM -- The final performance of "The 28 Inch Mill" drew a standing ovation Sunday from the crowd of about 125 at the Icehouse on Sand Island.

Stan Frantz, who played Karl Yoder, the play's main character, said he canceled 10 other performances due to poor ticket sales. At previous shows, attendance was in the single digits.

"There were either a lot of things going on at this time of year or it may be still too painful to think about the Steel," he said. "Once word was out and people knew they had a limited chance, I think they decided to check it out."

Frantz, who dedicated Sunday's show to former steelworkers and their families, reduced prices for them in an effort to attract more people.

During the one-man act, Yoder tries to hold a reunion of fellow workers from the 28-inch mill but discovers many have died or moved away. Instead, he invites one that he keeps in contact with, Janos, to his mother's home. Yoder drinks Wild Turkey while he shares on- and off-the-job stories with his former co-worker. Janos is never seen on stage during the play.

Leonard Hornberger, who worked at Bethlehem Steel for 40 of his 84 years, called the play "incredibly accurate and enjoyable."

"The play shows how everybody got along no matter what nationality they were," he said. "It's bringing back memories."

During the one-man show, the crowd acknowledged Frantz with laughter and agreement as they reminisced about Bethlehem Steel.

Frantz's father, Robert, who worked in the mill for 30 years, wrote the play in 1992.

"All of the stories are true," he said. "We felt as if we had a winner with this play."

Besides memories, the play rekindled lingering controversies over development on the land originally used by Bethlehem Steel.

"Steel made America; it's very important," Hornberger said. "I don't know what I want to see, but I want to see something."

Amey Senape, co-founder of Save Our Steel, a group dedicated to preserving some vestiges of the former manufacturing behemoth, said people are concerned with what develops at the land and said ticket sales shouldn't be an indication of locals' feelings.

"We're at the end of the Industrial Revolution and I don't think people notice," she said. "This is the last integrated steel mill in the country. If we keep the buildings and the pervasiveness, people can come and see the evolution over 100 years."

Frantz said the community needs to become active and fight to preserve parts of Bethlehem Steel.

"I'm pretty sure the feeling is almost universal that they want to keep it preserved one way," he said. "I told Save Our Steel if they need somebody to chain themselves to the blast furnaces, call me up. That's how strongly I feel."

Senape said the play "gave a feeling of what working there was like" and hoped former steelworkers would become more active in saving the steel mills.

"Bethlehem Steel is something we should value," Senape said. "We have something so great in our back yard, we sometimes overlook it."

Copyright © 2004, The Express-Times