‘Tracers’ opens up doors of the past | Play review
Published 8:00 am Friday, November 16, 2012
by Tom Welch
Special to the Sounder
Opening night of the Actors Theater of Orcas Island’s new play “Tracers,” conceived by John DiFusco and written by him and members of the original cast, taught me something about time travel. Lin McNulty’s phenomenal casting and direction of eight young island men in the roles of “grunts” in Vietnam opened a door I thought was closed and locked pretty well.
With excellent sound and lighting that brought an immediacy to some astoundingly good acting, dialogue as harsh as truth, and drama as profound as memory, I found myself transported back to a time (1968) and a place (Dak To, Republic of South Vietnam) I’ve struggled to leave behind for a long, long time.
Drill Instructor Sergeant Williams, played by Philip Shane, was as crude and tough as those miserable guys I remember so well. If Shane wasn’t a DI, he should have been. Little John (Nate Feder), Baby San (Kevin Doyle), Scooter (Mike Buckner), and Doc (Zak Everly) are perfect clones of guys most of us lived with in the hootches and bunkers of the RVN. Profane, nasty, insulting, fighting each other over nothing and everything. Best friends at times, worst enemies at others. Pledging to never forget each other, and leaving for R&R or back to The World as quickly and quietly as a thief in the night. Each of these fine, fine actors fit his role to a “T.”
Dinky Dau means “crazy” and Andy Martin played the role as well as any of us did in that insane time and place. Peter Giampietro, as “Habu,” the squad leader, did an excellent job as a matter-of-fact NCO doing his job the only way he could. Jason Dean, as the Professor, was perfect as the grunt who strove to rise above the horror and banality through philosophy.
A fine sense of the camaraderie, horseplay, comedy, and friction –the moments of stark terror that interrupted the hours of sheer boredom – shines through each of the dramatic vignettes that make up this impressive play about the Vietnam War. Stage Manager Cara Russell, terrific acting coaches Patty Monaco and Melinda Milligan, Gillian Smith, and the other members of an incredible crew obviously gave it all for “Tracers.”
If you remember that war, go see this play. If you were there, go see this play. If you weren’t, go see this play. You’ll be richer for it, and you’ll bring honor and respect to those who received very little back then.
“Tracers” is on at The Grange Nov. 16, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at Darvill’s and at the door.
