ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602090053
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.VA.
SOURCE: Associated Press
Shepherd College plans to produce a play about a Virginia journalist who died in a Martinsburg motel while working on a story about government corruption.
The play, written by Seattle playwright Jon Klein, is scheduled to open July 10 during the college's Contemporary American Theater Festival.
The body of free-lancecq - MB reporter J. Daniel Casolaro was found with his wrists slashed in the bathtub of a Martinsburg motel room in August 1991. Police ruled the death a suicide.
Casolaro, who lived in Fairfax, Va., had gone to Martinsburg to meet with sources to help with his investigation, which included the alleged theft of computer software by Justice Department officials.
In September 1994, the Justice Department affirmed the suicide ruling. It also echoed the findings of a special counsel, which said it found no credible evidence that department officials plotted to steal computer software from Inslaw Inc. of Washington, D.C.
Klein's play is titled ``The Octopus,'' a term often used by Casolaro to describe a number of alleged, high-level government conspiracies.
Ed Herendeen, director of Shepherd College's theater festival, said he worked with Klein last summer when another Klein play was performed at Shepherd.
Herendeen said he later contacted Klein's agent to see what other plays Klein was working on. The agent, who had no idea the Casolaro case took place in a town near Shepherdstown, suggested a new play Klein was working on about ``some cover-up,'' Herendeen said.
``It sort of seems meant to be, doesn't it?'' Herendeen said.
Herendeen said the play will strictly follow the facts of the police investigation and Casolaro's death. Writers plan to scour the public record and articles written about the case to fine-tune the play, he said.
The play will leave audience members to make their own judgments about what happened to Casolaro, Herendeen said.
Casolaro's family remains convinced he was slain, said his mother, Frances, who lives near Falls Church, Va.
Martinsburg Police Chief Wayne Cleveland, who was not with the department at the time of Casolaro's death, said he plans to see the play.
``I'm a big supporter of the arts. So given that, I'll be anxious to see how it comes out,'' he said.
A reading of the play's script will be held at the college on Saturday, Herendeen said.
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