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Photo By Jymi Bolden
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Director Michael Morehead (left) and assistant director
John Brubach have opted for a deeply personal look at
the Vietnam War.
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John Brubach knows all about the horrors of war. When he graduated from Purcell High School in 1968, the Army seemed like a respectable alternative for a young man not interested in college. He enlisted in January 1968 on a six-month delay program, which meant he went into service two weeks after graduation. The choice to fight overseas was, for him, a matter of patriotic duty.
"In 1968, going to the war in Vietnam was something America was asking you to do," Brubach says.
Brubach is working as assistant director and military advisor for The Drama Workshop's production of Shirley Lauro's A Piece of My Heart, opening this weekend at the Westwood Town Hall. The show is a psychological drama about the effects of the Vietnam War.
A Piece of My Heart tells of the experience of the Vietnam War from the perspective of a group of women who went there. Four are nurses, one is a Red Cross volunteer and one is a USO entertainer. Their reasons for signing up range from youthful naiveté to sincere patriotism, from a longing for adventure to a chance to see the world. Over the course of the play, we watch as their hopes unravel, the rest of their lives enveloped in the aftermath of a terrible war.
It's a thought-provoking subject matter at a time when our country is once again at war, but The Drama Workshop chose their season nearly a year ago, long before the destruction of the World Trade Center. Director Michael Morehead has been working with the script since last spring. The events of Sept. 11 and the War on Terrorism have definitely impacted his approach to this play.
"I've had five months to look at the script in terms of how our lives have changed since 9-11," says Morehead. "If it had gone up two months ago, I would have probably surrendered to sentimentality." As it is, he has opted for a less showy, more deeply personal look at the meaning of patriotism in light of war.
The choice of Brubach for assistant director of this play seemed to Morehead a natural fit. The two were friends from Purcell High School, where they worked as staff for the high school theater group following Brubach's return from the war and Morehead's graduation. "This is the first time in 17 years we've worked on a project together, although we've been strong friends throughout our lives," Morehead says.
Brubach has given a lot of thought to the meaning of patriotism in terms of war. The nation maintained a certain psychological separation from the events in Vietnam, he says, that never allowed for the kind of immense empathy felt for the heroes of 9-11 and the armed forces fighting overseas today.
"The soldier was an easy, visible target. Even in civilian clothes, your haircut labeled you as military," he remembers. "People blamed the soldier for what Washington was doing. They transferred their anger and aggression about the war to the people who fought it. We were worse than lepers, even in the eyes of veterans' organizations."
Morehead concurs. "You see how people like John were treated when they came back, and it's an absolute sin. There's no other word for it."
Brubach has noticed a significant change in attitude toward veterans since October, when the war was launched.
"If you're a veteran, you're looked at differently now," he says. "If you're a veteran, then you've done something."
Morehead turned 18 at the height of the draft. He recalls, "This was the first war telecast into your living room every night. I was just a kid, 18 and scared to death of the lottery." His number never came up, but many others were not so lucky.
The Vietnam monument in Washington, D.C. displays the names of thousands of men and women who were lost in Vietnam. Among them are 225 names from Cincinnati. The Drama Workshop production incorporates those names into their production.
Morehead views this show as an opportunity to give something back. "In a way, it is a tribute," he says, "but in reality, there's no way to adequately thank them for all they gave."
PIECE OF MY HEART, presented by The Drama Workshop, opens Friday and continues through March 2 at the Westwood Town Hall.
