Conflicting Viewpoints
The American flag wasn’t the only thing with flying colors at the Barrow Street Theatre this September 25th. Each actor performing in “In Conflict” successfully fulfilled the roles of various soldiers being interviewed after returning home from the war. Most of the actors even had to play several different roles of soldiers with completely opposite experiences.
The play “In Conflict” was aptly titled. There were real-life stories and different opinions on the war in Iraq. It was very liberating to hear both sides of the story, both anti-war and pro-war stances. Actually, the play went beyond showing both sides. It showed the opinions of women, men, negative thinking, positive thinking, immigrant, Caucasian, Hispanic, African American, and Native American soldiers. The small theatre was very cozy and made it seem like the audience itself was present at each interview. My favorite part of the night was an interview with a Russian immigrant soldier who served the audience cookies during teatime. The cookies were authentically Russian and delicious, and it was an unexpected treat to actually be able to have food and drink in a theatre for a change, even if it was just to set the mood.
The emotion projected by each performer filled the room with his or her sincere convictions and beliefs. Each character’s internal struggles were made pristinely apparent. The ambiance of the play was one of war and its after effect on the people present in Iraq. The props of beer and liquor bottles were very realistic for a military setting, as well as were the camouflage outfits and guns held by the actors. There were large panels lit up by American Flags and Uncle Sam’s face that the soldiers almost danced around on stage, marching in good rhythm. The stagecraft was aesthetically pleasing and the synchronization of large lit panels turning cannot be that easy to delegate. The production was anything but ordinary and the smoothness of the acting and other logistics blew me away. The content of the play was well chosen and unbiased. Seeing “In Conflict” is a must for anyone interested in war, as well as for every American.
