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"Every act of creation, by its mere existence, denies the world of master and slave." -Albert Camus
1955 |
The plot follows a marine captain serving in Iraq who is assigned to interrogate insurgents. His methods, including the practice of waterboarding, are put under scrutiny when a noted imam dies during questioning. What follows is kind of like The Twilight Zone meets A Christmas Carol. Captain Sterling, played by Gordon Tashjian, is visited by three successive insurgents, each apparently from pages of history: a famed member of the Polish resistance to Hitler, who disappeared during the 1940s; a man who speaks ancient Aramaic and comes to plead for the life of Jesus; and one of the Sterling's own ancestors, who has served under General George Washington. In a switch of perspective, each of these visitors sees Sterling as the terrorist. Schneiderman's script fluctuates between locations, including scenes of the captain's questioning by a congressional committee, scenes in which he questions insurgents, scenes in which he corresponds with his daughter back in the United States, and scenes where he relaxes with a lieutenant at a bar. In addition to Tashjian, the cast includes Dennis Keefe, James Wild, Robert "Hodie" Hodas, Jessica Stuber, John Vines, and Travis Hedland. In many instances, this stalwart crew is called upon to play multiple roles, which they do with impressive facility. I found newcomers Stuber and Hedland to be especially impressive in contrasting roles that allow them to showcase notable range and skill.
| Presented by Subversive Theatre through April 19 at the Manny Fried Playhouse in the Great Arrow Building, 255 Great Arrow Avenue. For more information, call 408-0499 or visit www.subversivetheatre.org. |
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Copyright (c) 2002-9, Subversive Theatre Collective. All rights reserved. |
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