Catonsville

As the Baltimore County community of Catonsville celebrates its bicentennial, Then and Now: Catonsville reflects on its past, present, and future. Some images celebrate the familiar landmarks that have withstood the test of time, while others represent the march of progress and the ever-changing landscape of Catonsville.

In the spring of 1968, a group of Catholic anti-war activists barged into a draft board in suburban Baltimore, stole hundreds of Selective Service records, and burned the documents. The bold actions of the 'Catonsville Nine' became international news. This book tells the story of this singular witness for peace and social justice.

On May 17, 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, nine men and women entered a Selective Service office outside Baltimore. They removed military draft records, took them outside, and set them afire with napalm. The Catholic activists involved in this protest against the war included Daniel and Philip Berrigan; all were found guilty of destroying government property and sentenced to three years in jail. Dan Berrigan fled but later turned himself in. The Trial of the Catonsville Nine became a powerful expression of the conflicts between conscience and conduct, power and justice, law and morality. Drawing on court transcripts, Berrigan wrote a dramatic account of the trial and the issues it so vividly embodied. The result is a landmark work of art that has been performed frequently over the past thirty-five years, both as a piece of theater and a motion picture.

Evaluates producer Hayward's (1902-71) contribution to American theater, and finds that his work is not being mounted today more because of the cost of such extravaganzas than because of any irrelevance in his themes of freedom vs. oppression, integrity vs. ambition, and justice vs. injustice. Includes a quick guide to all his productions and a survey of biographical data. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR