Michael B. Wehrli

Titanic Aftermath - a Play in Three Acts Michael B. Wehrli

Based on the Senate Hearing transcripts, the British Inquiry and survivor accounts, Titanic Aftermath is told through the eyes of J. Bruce Ismay, president of the White Star Line at the time of the disaster. He is now near the end of his life in mental anguish over his role in the disaster after having spent twenty five years in seclusion. He is still unable to come to terms with his and White Star's culpability. His nights are spent in torment reliving the event and hearing the voices from the past. Enter the spirits of three who did not survive the disaster - an Officer of the Titanic, a First Class Woman Passenger, and a Third Class Woman Passenger. They visit him in his last desperate hours in order to confront him with the truths about his company's role in the tragedy and force him to relive that fateful night through the testimonials of the survivors. J. Bruce Ismay is taken on a sweeping journey towards absolution. Guided by the First Class Woman, the Third Class Woman, and the Officer, Ismay relives the heat of the Senate Hearings and British Inquiry. Ismay and company are taken to task on several of the mistruths, outright lies and overall whitewashing that came out of the hearings. Furthermore, he is forced to bear witness and relive the infamous night itself through the most personal stories of the survivors. His own inner journey involves coming to terms with his own deeply felt guilt and his continuing sorrow over the tragedy. With the help of the other characters, he slowly becomes aware of the great lessons to be learned from the tragedy. On another level, the play examines the role of huge corporations whose risk management decisions directly lead to the disaster. Many revelations are brought out in this highly researched play. We learn that Titanic was far from being state-of-the-art in safety features. The audience also discovers that the very corporations which owned the huge liners also controlled how the industry was regulated. Not surprisingly, they decided that profit and luxury trumped the need for complete safety. Obviously, this is a theme that unfortunately continues to resonate today.

"The play is a riveting read and should not be missed by anyone with an interest in the accurate story of the Titanic."
            - Allison Murphy, CQD editor, Belfast Titanic Society