Leaving aside our reactions that David Rabe's play is full of stereotypes and cliches about young men in a barracks waiting to be sent to Vietnam, and that we are subjected to a series of dutifully instructive scenes meant to inform us about the nature of manhood, expressed and repressed homosexual identities, and the madness of war, and that the play careens toward a violent melodramatic climax that is completely nonsensical, and that this is not a play I would choose to see on Thanksgiving weekend...I do think there were solid theatrical moments here. Men do go crazy from something--from fear. Whether it's fear of being sent to Vietnam, fear of the two comically psychopathic sergeants, or fear of not being a man acceptable to the army and your bunkmates, the fear and menace is palpable.
If only Rabe had worked on the play a few more drafts.
No comments:
Post a Comment