In Conflict

In Conflict is Yvonne Latty’s depiction of the Iraqi War’s untold stories. It is filled with compelling and heartbreaking accounts of real Iraqi War veteran’s experiences. The monologues that are delivered by the actors are a highlight of the show. The set was a distraction and did not enhance the play whatsoever. The play was highlighted by a very poignant moment at the end that brings the show full circle and is touching and emotional.

The actors all seemed to take their roles very seriously and they all embodied their characters well. It was clear that they wanted to make sure they portrayed the veterans to the best of their abilities, almost like a tribute to them for their service. The actor’s monologues were engaging and they thoroughly conveyed the seriousness of the topics that they were dealing with. They all give convincing performances and really enhanced the show greatly.

The set greatly detracted from the show. The constant spinning of the enormous movable walls on stage were distracting and sometimes obstructed the view. These panels had pictures and maps on them but were only perfectly aligned when viewed from the middle of the theater, so from a side view they just seemed skewed and strange. In addition, it wasn’t entirely necessary to have the author constantly popping up on a television screen telling the audience about the next person she interviewed. I found it much more interesting to learn about the person from the monologue rather than hearing about them from someone else. In one instance Latty mentions how much she had in common with one of the veterans and how she immediately made a connection with him but when he appeared on stage he was nothing like what she made him seem like. It was almost as though she glorified him in a certain aspect however, when he is introduced you are left questioning whether or not it is the same person that was just mentioned.

The show is tied together with a moment at the end that leaves a lasting impression. When all of the veterans come out and introduce themselves again, the real life counterpart or each character is shown and it is a wonderful juxtaposition of the two. Also this moment brings the show to a close because at the beginning the soldiers come out to introduce themselves and they are all happy and seem to be enjoying their work greatly, however, at the end, it is evident that the War changed them, for better or worse. They all had more solemn expressions and they did not seem to be the young, fresh, smiling faces of the beginning of the show. They have been aged by the War and it just goes to show the toll that it takes on the soldiers that are involved in the conflict.