Mary Swander’s “Farmscape” explores the farming crisis of the 1980s with attention focused on the true victims of the act: the farmers.

While not everyone went into the play feeling a personal connection to the farming crisis, everyone left with some sort of identification with humanity that pulled at their heartstrings and presented them with a new perspective at what can be seen every day just a few minutes outside the city of Dubuque.

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver appointed Swander as this year’s Poet Laureate of the State of Iowa. A nationally recognized and award-winning author, Swander said she came up with the idea for the show during one of her student projects at Iowa State University, where she is a professor. The show, which was held at St. Joseph’s Auditorium in Hoffmann Hall last Friday night, attracted a sizable outside crowd.

The show opened with two songs sung by Robert Dunn, a Loras psychology professor. Dunn, who also played the piano, was accompanied on the bass by another Loras psychology professor, Mark Hopper.

Dunn wrote the music that was played throughout the show — some of it sad and solemn, and it was juxtaposed with a slide show of images of Iowan farmers and residents affected by the crisis.

The play itself depicts an auction of tractors and farm equipment that is being witnessed by a group of reminiscent and disheartened workers. They each take turns discussing their lives and how they have changed since the crisis began. The tone is slightly humorous, somewhat sweet and particularly poignant as each of the workers cope with a crisis that has permeated every aspect of their lives: the treatment of their animals, the different uses of corn and even the use of manure.

If the play felt like it had a very personal and human touch to it, that’s because all of the dialogue and accounts came from real-life Iowans. Also, the cast, which included some Loras staff and students, was completely comprised of Iowans who had experiences similar to those referenced in the play. The group blended quite seamlessly together, and the chemistry among the actors made it easy for the audience to appreciate the performance.

After the show ended, Swander took to the stage for a discussion. It became apparent that the play had made quite an impact on the audience.

While many in the audience had not grown up on a farm and were not accustomed to the lifestyle outside of an urban locale, there were many audience members who chimed in with their own words on how they had been affected by the crisis. In a show of hands, the majority of the audience had a family member or ancestor who owned a farm.