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THE REVIEWS FOR "IN
CONFLICT" ARE IN!
Vietnam and Iraq war veteran Ty Simmons, played by Tom Rader
"IN CONFLICT" is "STUNNING" and "POWERFUL,"
performed with "ACHING ELOQUENCE" and "RAW
POWER."
THE NEW YORK TIMES, BEN BRANTLEY says:
"It's possible that no cast on or off Broadway these days shares fewer
professional stage credits than the young ensemble of "In Conflict,"
a sober and very affecting docudrama about veterans of the
war in Iraq...
"...It's this double layer of rawness -- untried actors trying
to make sense of the feelings of untried soldiers suddenly tested in ways
that strain sanity - that gives "In Conflict" its particular
biting poignancy. Under Mr. Wager's direction, the performers seem
painfully in touch with the confused emotions they have been asked
to give voice to, unprotected by the lacquered wall of well-honed technique..."
CULTURE PROJECT PRESENTS NEW YORK PREMIERE OF TEMPLE UNIVERSITY’S ACCLAIMED
PRODUCTION OF “I N C O N F L I C T” BASED ON YVONNE LATTY’S GROUND-BREAKING
BOOK ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY DOUGLAS C. WAGER, SEARING PORTRAIT OF IRAQ
WAR VETERANS BEGINS ENGAGEMENT AT BARROW STREET THEATRE OPENING NIGHT SET
FOR SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 New York, NY – Culture Project (Allan Buchman,
Artistic Director) will next produce the New York Premiere of the award-winning
play In Conflict, a compelling portrait of Iraq War veterans
speaking out on duty, loss and the fight to stay alive amid one of the
most controversial conflicts in modern American history. Based on Yvonne
Latty’s acclaimed 2006 book of the same name, the stage version of
In Conflict, adapted and directed by three-time Helen Hayes
Award-winner Douglas C. Wager, plays the Barrow Street Theatre (27
Barrow Street) beginning September 18, 2008, with an official Opening Night
set for Wednesday, September 24, 2008. In Conflict captures
the unheard voices and unpredictable experiences of Iraq War veterans whose
lives have been changed forever. Featuring men and women from all branches
and ranks, Republican and Democrat, straight and gay, immigrants and natives,
hailing from all parts of the country, these remarkable veterans represent
America and its complexity. In Conflict answers the question
so often asked of soldiers when they return home: What happened? Their
honest answers and extraordinary accounts will affect the way we think
about war. Following Culture Project’s critically acclaimed World Premiere
of George Packer’s Betrayed, In Conflict explores
the Iraq War from the American perspective and asks a different set of
questions. What is the nature of patriotism and service in today’s America?
With an all volunteer army fighting a bewildering conflict (with doubts
about the necessity and mission of this particular war), why is the re-assimilation
process as brutal as it is? Why are these young soldiers essentially disenfranchised
from the political process of war? And who is - or should be - held accountable?
After premiering last year at Temple University in Pennsylvania (where
Philadelphia Weekly named it Best New Play of the Year), In
Conflict traveled to the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where
it won the prestigious Fringe First Award. The show also played the
Philadelphia Fringe Festival before finally having its much anticipated
Off Broadway premiere at Culture Project. The cast of 11, all young actors
who have been with the show for its entire journey, are the same age as
the majority of today’s troops and casualties -- a generation that is
paying the highest price for this war.
The cast of In Conflict features Tim Chambers, Stan Demidoff,
Ethan Haymes, Amanda Holston, Suyeon Kim, Sean Lally, Joy Notoma, Sam Paul,
Danielle Pinnock, Tom Rader and Damon Williams.
The design team for In Conflict includes Andrew Laine (Set
Design), Marian Cooper (Costume Design), J. Dominic Chacon (Lighting Design),
Warren Bass (Video Design), Gary Yong (Video Assistant), Christopher Cappello
(Sound Design), Paul Winnick (Music Advisor) and James McCaffrey (Stage
Manager).
Culture Project's mission is to bear witness to injustice, to stimulate
challenging conversation about the most profound and urgent matters of
our time and to convert interest, energy and engagement into a motivational
demand for progressive change. Culture Project has premiered celebrated
shows including The Exonerated, Sarah Jones’ Bridge & Tunnel, Guantanamo,
Lawrence Wright’s My Trip To Al-Qaeda, Tings Dey Happen,
the Lucille Lortel Award-winning World Premiere of George Packer’s Betrayed
and most recently, Lenelle Moïse’s Expatriate.
In Conflict is 2 hours long, with a 10 minute intermission. Beginning
October 7, 2008, In Conflict will be performed in rotating
rep with Culture Project’s production of The Atheist, starring
Campbell Scott as ‘Augustine Early’. Performances of In Conflict
are (every other week) Tuesday – Thursday at 8:00 p.m., Friday
at 9:00 p.m., Saturday at 4:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. and Sunday at 4:00
p.m. The preview performance schedule varies. Tickets are $25 for preview
performances and $35 for regular performances and are available by calling
212-352-3101 or visiting http://www.cultureproject.org.
Student tickets ($15) are also available for all performances. Culture
Project at the Barrow Street Theatre is located at 27 Barrow Street at
7th Avenue.
# # # # #
Click here
to read the full review on the New York Times website and to hear special
audio excerpts from the show.
ASSOCIATED
PRESS says a
"stunning drama," "riveting," with
"subtle, often heart-rending performances."
CURTAIN
UP says "gut-wrenching"
and "powerful."
Buy your tickets now!
Call 212-352-3101 or visit http://www.cultureproject.org
And don't miss the special talkback after the 8PM performance on Tuesday,
September 30: Fighting to Exist - Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
Jennifer Hogg moderates a panel with former Marine Jeff Keys
and cast member Tim Chambers to explore the misconceptions around
the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, and how it affects the lives of
gay and lesbian servicemembers.
Jennifer Hogg served in the New York Army National Guard from
2000-2005. She participated in the initial 9/11 activation and later saw
her unit activated for OIF III (Operation Iraqi Freedom). Unable to further
answer to her conscience due to the occupation and the treatment of minorities
in the military, which she saw directly as a gay woman and indirectly in
the racism that still exists, she accepted a discharge from the military
as a SGT and is now active in veterans' rights organizations. Jennifer
is a co-founding member of SWAN, the Service Women's Action Network, and
is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Jeff Keys is a writer, actor, activist and philanthropist and
Iraq War veteran. In 2000, at the age of 34, he became a reserve
marine, and his unit was deployed to Eastern Iraq in March 2003. On March
31, 2004, Jeff appeared on CNN’s Paula Zahn Now to speak out in opposition
to the occupation of Iraq, and to admit his homosexuality. He was
discharged from the Marines for the admission. Jeff is the subject
of a Showtime documentary entitled Semper Fi: One Marine's Journey, and
also wrote and performs an award-winning and critically acclaimed one-man
performance piece, The Eyes of Babylon, developed from his journal entries
in Iraq.
Tim Chambers is a recent graduate of Temple University, earning
a BA in both Theater and Psychology. Tim portrays veteran John Ball Jr.,
a former Marine who resisted re-enlisting for fear that his commanders
would find out he was gay. Tim was selected by the Kennedy Center as an
Irene Ryan nominee for his performance in In Conflict
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