based on a book by the same title, it's the story of women in vietnam, and the playwright was there opening night --called it one of the most moving producitons she's seen (also said in a post show talk that since 9/11 this is the third most requested show from samuel french).... at the end, i've posted a review that i couldn't find a link to.
it's two army nurses, a navy nurse, a red cross donught dolly, an army intelligence officer, and a USO girl (and one talented man who plays all the GIs, officers, and civilian men they come in contact with). the first act is how they got there, and their experiences in vietnam, and the second act deals with coming back and re-aclimating. it's bookended by them attending the dedication of the wall
it was set in the round, with platforms that had images from the war on them...with puzzle pieces missing. theatre in the round is an intense experience, and especially beautiful in this case, when on opening night there were so many veteran's there whose reactions became a part of the experience.
at The Wall Ceremony
the last image of the play, finally recognized and welcomed home
Mary Jo Kincaid, lead singer of the Sugar Candies All Girl Band, on the last night in SF before the USO tour
singing the Air Force song on the flight into Vietnam ("we'll live in fame, or go down in flames..."
a Head Nurse describes the series of Quanset Huts set up for the hospital
a series of descriptions and reactions to Tet:
they form intense personal relationships...
and they have good times too...
Mary Jo and the "Sugar Candies" performing "Proud Mary" for a group of Marines... you can see how the other actors flow in and out of supporting roles, it's an interesting challenge for costumes.
and then they come home to another life, and other expectations
The Sugar Candies are told by their agent that he can barely reimburse them for airfare, never mind the $1,000 a month they were promised
"in Vietnam, I was treated different, trusted." Martha and Leeann discuss the treatment they get in hospitals stateside, not being allowed to hang an IV, being trained in CPR
Leeann is met at the airport by a Gold Star father, who lost his only son in Nam and meets incoming flights to help returning vets make their planes. (if you think that's my dad's windbreaker, you're right)
Martha's army father assumes she'll stay in the Navy for the benefits and a career...she's unsure
they find therapy groups, ways to talk about things no one understands...they respond to commute traffic helicopters, the color khaki green, christmas songs...nothing is the same for them.
Review from Matthew Everett
Review - A Piece of My Heart
Filed under 5 Star Shows - Best I've Seen
They have plenty of Kleenex on hand in the lobby at Theatre Unbound's
production of Shirley Lauro's testament to women caught up in the Vietnam
War, A Piece of My Heart. And by the time the play is done, those tissues
are needed.
A sensitive acquaintance of mine had to leave at intermission - even though
the part of the play dealing directly with the war was over, and the
characters were headed back home. He's a gentle soul, and the first half of
the piece was powerful enough that he had to step away and process it all.
The playwright herself, in town for opening night, described this
presentation as "one of the top regional productions I have seen." A Tony
and Drama Desk Award nominee, produced both around the country and around
the world, Ms. Lauro's seen quite a bit of her work on stage.
There's a reason for these strong reactions. This is a powerful production
of an equally powerful play.
Inspired by the book by Keith Walker, A Piece of My Heart follows the
journeys of six women into the war - four as nurses, one as an intelligence
officer, one as an entertainer - and back out again.
This was in a time before the notion of "support the troops," whether or not
you agreed with the war itself, was not commonplace. The great crime is that
even after surviving a harrowing tour of duty in Vietnam, just like the
soldiers, when these women came home, they were still not safe. The first
peril was physical, the second and more long-lasting trouble, which followed
them home, was psychological.
It is strange to say - or perhaps good to say - but no one performance in A
Piece of My Heart stands out, apart from the others. The stories, and the
performances, are all interwoven, though they each travel very different
paths. This is truly an ensemble effort. It is the collective weight of
these six stories that packs an emotional punch. This group effort is the
commendable work of both the cast and the guidance of their director, Maggie
Bearmon Pistner.
There is the military brat (Beth Chaplin) who followed in her father's
footsteps and lived to regret it. There is the singer (Mary Jo) who gets a
lot more than she bargained for when she goes to entertain the troops. There
is the small town girl (Anna Olson) who just wants to get out and see the
world. There is the intelligence officer (Lori M. Neal) who has her valuable
insights devalued because she is a woman. There is a well-bred young woman
(Angela Marsh) who volunteers with the Red Cross in order to change her
sheltered existence. And there is the Asian-American pacifist (Sophronia
Liu), in search of a place where the majority of the other people look like
her for a change.
All of these women find what they're looking for, but it comes at a high
price. It is only by coming together again, and reopening the old wounds,
that they can begin to heal, and make something of their shattered lives.
This is strong stuff, but worth it.
The set (by Mark Koski), props (by Roxanne Skarphol) costumes (by Andrea M.
Gross) and sound (by Montana Johnson) are all deceptively simple. The stage
is a series of small platforms of different heights with spaces in between.
On the surface of the platforms are old military posters and other artwork,
broken down into puzzle piece form, always with a couple of pieces missing
or misplaced. The props are few. The clothes offer only a couple of
different looks. From this most basic of foundations, the cast creates
multiple characters (many supporting roles surrounding the primary ones) and
multiple locations over time. Fully engaging the audience's imagination with
these raw materials, the production works its considerable magic.
Mention also needs to be made of Edward Linder who plays all the men - and
there are many of them - that pass through the lives of these women before,
during and after the war. Keeping the many soldiers and civilians from not
blending together is tricky work, and he handles it well.
There's not a weak link in the bunch.
In a time when our country is once again questioning the motives and tactics
of a war in another part of the world, this production is especially timely.
But even if we weren't in such a time, this play would still resonate. In
order to avoid making the same mistakes again, we need to see them clearly.
Shirley Lauro's play, and Theatre Unbound's staging of it, show us a
troubled time without flinching. It's the kind of thing that a live
connection with an audience does best.
Highly recommended.
A Piece of My Heart runs through March 18, 2006. All performances are at The
Playwrights' Center - 2301 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis Tickets are $16
- Discounts for students, seniors, veteran/active military & groups - Info:
www.theatreunbound.com - Reservations: 612-721-1186
