Many politicians have a great capacity for drama, yet we don't see many political plays anymore. Exceptions might be the occasional Shakespeare history play, or a contemporary piece like "The Laramie Project," about the gay bashing and murder of Matthew Shepard. But many cities go years without presenting a political play.

Central Indiana has had a few, especially since the advent of the Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival in 2005. The most recent Fringe included "The President's New Clothes," a satire inspired by a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.

Now, the Phoenix Theatre jumps into the fray with the local premiere of "Stuff Happens," British playwright David Hare's play about the diplomatic process leading to the Iraqi war. Its title stems from former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's comments about looting after the fall of Baghdad.

Dale McFadden, an Indiana University theater professor who has directed in Chicago and off-Broadway, will stage "Stuff Happens." He said he also has directed lighter fare, such as Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite," but his previous Phoenix contributions have been darker. The latest was "Fat Pig," a Neil LaBute drama on intolerance.

Hare, who also wrote the screenplay to "The Hours," based much of the dialog for "Stuff Happens" on transcripts of public meetings or press conferences. McFadden said Hare believes "that examining events in the present is important to see what implications there are for the future."

While McFadden said he is "not here to convert people to one side or the other," he acknowledges that Hare "is a left-wing playwright, and there is no doubt that he is very angry that (then-British Prime Minister Tony) Blair was pulled into the Iraq War by (President George W.) Bush."

McFadden said "Stuff Happens" will give audiences "an opportunity to witness as a group the idealism of a politician and the self-delusion." He also believes Hare is trying to point out that Bush is smarter than some believe.

"Stuff Happens" calls for a core of six actors. At the Phoenix, Rich Rand will play Blair, with Doug Johnson as Bush, Ken Klingenmeier as Rumsfeld, Dena Toler as then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Michael Smith as then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and Will Carlson as Vice President Dick Cheney. Ten other actors play various characters.

According to McFadden, the first challenge to directing "Stuff Happens" "is understanding that the audience has a literal relationship with all of these characters, whom they've seen and think they know. Another challenge is, within the first three minutes of the play, to say that this is not a group imitation, and it's not a skit. All these people, Bush especially, must be taken seriously."