ARTICLE: History Theatre looks at war on two fronts
Pioneer Press
by Mary Ann Grossman
March 13, 2014
A young soldier tries to make sense of the war he's fighting in Vietnam's jungles. More than 30 years later, seven women soldiers are battle-tested on the sands of Iraq. These characters come to life in History Theatre's productions of "The Things They Carried" and "Lonely Soldiers: Women at War in Iraq."
"We thought it would be interesting to put the era of the draft and the era of the volunteer professional Army back-to-back," said Ron Peluso, History Theatre artistic director.
"The Things They Carried," which begins a world premiere run at 8 p.m. Saturday, is Jim Stowell's adaptation of Minnesota native Tim O'Brien's short story collection. The one-man show features actor Stephen D'Ambrose portraying O'Brien, who is both author and a character in the book that has sold more than 3 million copies and is taught in high schools and colleges around the country.
O'Brien, who was a "grunt" with Alpha Company in 1969-70, tells often-surreal stories. He was striving for a literary form that would help readers understand the hallucinatory experience of fighting a war in which there were no battle lines, the enemy could disappear into the terrain and nobody was sure what they were fighting about.
Peluso said O'Brien's vivid writing and the way his narrative moves back and forth in time make "The Things They Carried" theatrical.
"Jim (Stowell) picked important moments out of the book," he said, "from the time Tim was drafted out of Macalester and had to make a decision to stay or go into the service. That's a major piece of this production. Then there's his journey, a lot about his insight dealing with his fellow soldiers, loss of best friends."
Only men were allowed on front lines in Vietnam, but by 2006 more than 190,000 women soldiers had served in the Middle East. Most were sent to Iraq, where 102 of them died.
Helen Benedict, award-winning playwright, author and journalism professor, interviewed women soldiers for her 2009 book, "The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq," which she adapted for a production that ran briefly off-Broadway in New York several years ago. History Theatre is giving the play its regional premiere.
In the show, which opens at 2 p.m. Sunday, the women soldiers speak of their experiences on the battlefield and in the barracks, and of their personal journeys toward recovery and justice.
One of the things these women faced was sexual assault. Peluso points out that media coverage and public awareness of this previously hidden topic makes Benedict's play as important now as when her book was published.
"Literally every word in the play comes directly from the mouths of the soldiers Helen interviewed," Peluso said. "In our agreement, Helen stipulated we could not change words. That was a great idea. The women's words are so stark, powerful and blunt, they give new insight into what they were dealing with."
What: History Theatre presents "The Things They Carried" and "Lonely Soldiers: Women at War in Iraq"
When/where: March 15-April 6; History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul
Tickets: $40-$15
Information: historytheatre.com; box office 651-292-4323
History Theatre is surrounding these productions with educational opportunities, including downloadable play guides.
March 16 -- Helen Benedict talks about researching and writing her book and play after the premiere of "Lonely Soldiers."
March 22 -- Women in War workshop explores sexual harassment, violence and trauma in the military, curated by World Without Genocide and History Theatre. 10:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m., preceding 2 p.m. "Lonely Soldiers" performance. Tickets are $40, $25 for students; registration required by Thursday. Information: admin@worldwithoutgenocide.org or 651-695-7621.
March 23 -- Jim Stowell and Stephen D'Ambrose discuss adapting O'Brien's book as a one-man show after the 2 p.m. performance of "The Things They Carried."
March 30 -- "Lonely Soldiers" cast is joined by women veterans of the Iraq war for a discussion following 2 p.m. performance.
April 6 -- Panel discussion on post-traumatic stress disorder, including a therapist specializing in veterans' issues, a peer support advocate and Vietnam War veterans after the 2 p.m. performance of "The Things They Carried."