By Kathryn Willis
In Voices from Vietnam, now premiering at Journey Theater in Warrenton, playwright Dr. Harry J. Kantrovich doesn’t spotlight a particular character. Instead, the production’s true star is the raw story itself, revealed through each character’s personal experience from that scarring, conflicted period.
The tales are not singularly about the harrowing firefights and narrow escapes, the agony of POWs and the loss of comrades, nor the riveting fears of the soldiers themselves. Instead, Kantrovich broadens the scope by giving voice to the medics, the nurses, the Vietnamese whose lives were irrevocably changed, the widows, and the children who never knew their dads.
Their monologues come to our ears through decades of suppressed emotions, where the angst and pain, and need for reconciliation, were not welcomed into the public conversation. And so, the power of their words is this production’s true star…straight from the writings uncovered from honest, primary sources.
As the audience hears from these characters, they also experience the small joys of military life — the total pleasure of using a toilet that flushes, the luxury of lying on hot sand before a dip in the ocean, the memory of purchasing a special dollhouse for a daughter back home — details that bring us more intimately into their moment.
Augmenting these vignettes are scenes from Vietnam projected above the stage, and in many cases, photos of the people themselves, in their younger bodies. Occasionally, the sounds of whirring helicopter blades and rat-tat-tat of machine gunfire augment the projections.
Center stage is a table, with a single place setting, white linens, a rose, a wine glass, and an empty seat — universally recognized as the open invitation to every soul who served, and is now no longer with us.
A narrator introduces each character; he and many of the actors descend from the stage, as though to establish personal contact and intimacy with their listeners, almost as if in private conversation. Varied lighting occasionally shifts the spotlight, giving a thoughtful pause to these intimate exchanges.
The set is simple — a half-circle of chairs, and flags above — the Stars and Stripes, flags of the Army, Navy, Marines, and of course, the stark black-and-white flag of the POWs. The stage sides, and the hall, are festooned with red, white, and blue accents, including several that proclaim “Welcome Home” — a phrase that most of these vets never heard.
In the lobby, exhibits of photographs and memorabilia, as well as a display table where the book Voices from Vietnam, by military author Bruce “Doc” Norton, are on sale. “Doc” himself tells his Vietnam service story as the first character in the production. Norton collaborated with Kantrovich in writing the play, augmenting the contents from his own research.
Kantrovich brings to this production a lifetime of theater experience. The theme of war recollections is also a familiar one: He worked with Tom Brokaw to craft The Greatest Generation Speaks, the play based on Brokaw’s famous book. Indeed, it was Brokaw who followed up with Kantrovich, encouraging him to craft a production about Vietnam.
It is a strong, riveting play, and a necessary one. While we still hail The Greatest Generation for its heroism in saving our freedoms, the point of this production is that those who served in Vietnam were called to duty from the same sense of honor and patriotism of that earlier generation. They merit our attention, and our gratitude. Each actor conveys this sense in the heartfelt interpretation of their character, which must have become a part of their true selves.
Even though the stories are varied and very specific, the one caveat is that the play is long.
The creative teams include Natalie Folie, assistant director; Doug Barylski, Stacie Duvall, and Walt Meyer, producers, and Playbill designer Stub Estey (who also portray characters); Pat Jannell, stage manager/props; Stacy King, lighting designer; Michelle Matthews and Kaitlyn Nelson, sound; and Thor Matthews, photographer. Together, they give shape and setting to these words, allowing us as audience to enter the experience of each recollection.
This play is not an easy one, but it is one that will always be remembered — as the characters’ stories themselves bear witness. We, as beneficiaries of their service and their lives, will surely be the better for having listened.
Running Time: Approximately three hours and 15 minutes with one intermission.
Voices from Vietnam plays through November 24, 2024 (Friday to Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 2 pm), at Journey Theater, Vint Hill, 4175 Bludau Drive, Warrenton VA. Purchase tickets ($12–$20) online.
Voices from Vietnam was written by Dr. Harry Kantrovich, a retired Navy Master Chief, in collaboration with Bruce H. “Doc” Norton, a retired Marine Corps Major and Vietnam veteran. The play focuses and expands the war’s impact beyond that of the veteran. Norton’s book by the same name, recently published, is also on sale.
Kathryn Willis is a long-time arts and cultural advocate in the greater Fredericksburg region, specializing in the visual arts, history, and cultural events. University of Mary Washington, Virginia Tech, GW University.
