THEATER OF GOOD INTENTIONS

No matter how worthy Civilian is, with its interviews of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, one cannot call this play effective theatre. There have been several moving documentaries of real soldiers being interviewed on HBO and fine war plays written by imaginative writers, but this “documentary drama” by playwright and director Herman Daniel Farrell III (co-writer of the Peabody Award–winning HBO Film Boycott) is neither fish nor fowl. Not a documentary (as University of Kentucky (UK) students are employed to tell the veterans’ stories) and not a drama (as it lacks the creative shaping of events by a playwright),  Civilian is almost entirely verbatim recitation. The harrowing stories are disjointed, rambling back and forth from one soldier to another until all the material seems to merge together. Hearing one hard tale after another (including the difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life), one soon becomes numb and resistant to empathy.

Mr. Farrell’s staging was arbitrary and monotonous; chairs are moved from one corner to another to indicate change of time and place, but it interrupts the tension’s momentum. The best thing that can be said about Mr. Farrell’s direction is that he the actors keeps from overreaching their emotions, but the young college students working on this material are just not able to convey the momentous effect and profound changes brought about by the soldiers’ experiences.

One actor did speak with a flat affect associated with those suffering great emotional overload or trauma, but it was inconsistent. Thus, it was jarring when he spoke in a normal manner. Another actor fared a bit better than the rest simply because he was somewhat older and more centered. But overall it was evident that the performers were asked to do more than they possibly could with their limited experience and emotional capacities.

Those involved in helping soldiers and bringing their difficulties to public attention should be commended: Doug Boyd (director of the UK Center for Oral History), Tyler Gayheart (alumnus), and Tony Dotson (director of the Veterans Resource Center). It might even be helpful for UK students to act out these stories for their greater understanding, and even as an acting lesson. But alas, good intentions do not make for artistic excellence.

evemeadows @ stageandcinema.com

photos by Mark Boxley/KY Forward

Civilian
performance schedule ends August 28
http://www.fringenyc.org