Review in L.A. Weekly by Martín Hernández on June 17, 2004.
*LA Weekly Recommended*
The dehumanizing consequences of racism, homophobia and militarism make for a volatile combination in David Rabe’s 1976 Vietnam War–era play, a concoction on which director Leon Shanglebee grounds his excellent staging and cast’s outstanding performances. Three disparate young paratroopers have formed a tentative bond at a Washington, D.C., army barracks in 1964: Richie (James Coyne), a privileged Manhattan sophisticate; Billy (the exceptional Christian Levantino), a bespectacled Wisconsin farm boy; and Roger (Mancini Graves), an impoverished Southern black. Their strengthening amity, however, is beset by Richie’s allusions to being queer and the appearance of Carlyle (the riveting Romel Jamison), an oppressed black soldier whom Roger grossly underestimates as “just a little fucked up in the head.” As two World War II and Korean vet sergeants, Michael Melvin and Trent Hopkins hilariously mine an underlying critique on all-male institutions’ disdain for homosexuality. The duo’s drunken camaraderie is their solace from the brutality of war but may also disguise a pre–“don’t ask, don’t tell” affection. Keith Disciullo’s authentic set design, especially the camouflage netting on the theater’s back wall, is to be applauded. Gangbusters Theater Company at Blue Sphere Alliance at the Lex, 6760 Lexington Ave., Hlywd.; Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; thru July 18. (213) 864-9365.
Review from BACKSTAGE WEST by Les Spindell on July 7, 2004
*Critic’s Pick*
As long as wars are waged for questionable reasons, with moral chaos driving ostensibly decent human beings to acts of savagery, David Rabe’s 1976 Vietnam-era drama will have a stunning resonance. In a production brimming with intelligence and nail-biting tension, director Leon Shanglebee leads a remarkable ensemble cast in illuminating Rabe’s brilliant anti-war parable.
The title derives from military slang for the plight of a paratrooper whose parachute fails to open. The characters warble Stephen Foster’s classic song “Beautiful Dreamer” as an ironic refrain, with the word “streamer” substituted for “dreamer,” to denote people trying to make peace with their tragic fates. In the barracks at a U.S. Army base in Washington, D.C., young soldiers await their orders to be sent to the battlefield. The recruits attempt to bond, but differences of social class, race, and sexual orientation result in friction. The omnipresent fear of being sent into the treacherous jungle hellhole adds to the edginess of their interactions. The irrationality of homophobia becomes a pivotal issue – a metaphorical counterpart to the insanity of war, with a violent death the inevitable outcome.
Without exception, the actors interpret their roles impeccably, bringing out the multilayered nuances in Rabe’s literate text. Heading the list of indelible portrayals is Romel Jamison’s hair-raising characterization of the African-American Carlyle, a tough-talking, chip-on-his-shoulder blowhard – yet underneath his intimidating street-punk exterior is a terrified little boy. Trent Hopkins expertly plays the drunken Sgt. Rooney, who likewise uses bullying tactics to mask fear and despair. The superb James Coyne plays the unashamedly gay Richie, the story’s catalyst, stoking the fires of the smoldering tensions without realizing what he is doing. As the possibly closeted Billy, Christian Levatino brilliantly epitomizes the pent-up emotions that are the core of Rabe’s themes. Mancini Graves excels as Roger, the voice of reason who makes attempts to keep peace among the comrades. Michael Melvin has compelling moments as Rooney’s buddy Cokes, a sergeant who’s in denial about his terminal illness.
Thanks to Shanglebee’s masterful staging and these sterling performances, one leaves the theatre shaken by Rabe’s harrowing yet heartbreaking vision of the apocalypse forever. At the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., Hollywood; Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7p.m.; thru Aug 1. (213) 864-9365. Written 07/07/2004 (Les Spindell).
The Pink Sheet July 2, 2004 - Excerpts from the Review by Ted Flagg
David Rabe’s Vietnam-era play Streamers is set in an army barracks in Washington, D.C., in 1964. Although the war was well-underway, it was still largely below the public radar for most Americans. But, for obvious reasons, it loomed large for the GI’s who had to face the possibility of being shipped out any day.
Though the piece is not what is usually thought of as a gay play, the subject of homosexuality haunts all the characters, whether straight or gay. Homophobia combines with racial conflict, boredom, fear, uncertainty and rampant military machismo to make a lethal witch’s brew that erupts in a bloody cataclysm.
Three men share a room in the barracks: Richie (James Coyne) is a handsome, semi-sophisticated New Yorker who unhinges his roommates by hinting that he’s gay. Billy (Christian Levatino) is a shy, bespectacled farm boy who’s rattled by the subject of homosexuality, and the fear that Richie is out to seduce him. Roger (Mancini Graves) is a naïve, well-meaning African-American, who’s also disturbed by Richie’s sexual double-entendres. Added to the mix are a pair of boozy NCOs, Cokes (Michael Melvin) and Rooney (Trent Hopkins), bachelor veterans of the Korean War who have a kind of Damon and Pythias relationship: there’s no hint of any homosexual connection between them, but they don’t seem to have much interest in women. The most destructive force is Carlyle (Romel Jamison), an angry black man whose racial resentments and hatred of the army have made him into a semi-psychotic loose cannon.
It’s a complex and fascinating play, hard to pin down in its meanings and intentions, but always disturbing. Director Leon Shanglebee keeps the mood taut, and suspense mounting.
The cast is generally excellent, with Levatino excelling as the confused farm-boy Billy, and Graves makes an engaging would-be peacemaker, who wants everybody to just go along to get along. Jamison generates a palpable sense of danger and menace as the angry, insinuating Carlyle. Coyne has an engaging presence as the gay-boy Richie.
This production is definitely worth a look, but it’s not for the squeamish. The climax is violent, graphic and extremely bloody.Frontiers newsmagazine - California’s Gay Biweekly July 30, 2004
David Rabe’s shattering 1976 drama “Streamers” is one of the most compelling plays written about the Vietnam War – or any war, for that matter. Its themes of homophobia in the military, questions about the justification of war, and moral chaos that leads to violence seem more relevant than ever. Director Leon Shanglebee helms a powerful revival of this classic, highlighted by flawless acting. The title comes from military slang for the plight of a paratrooper whose parachute fails to open, underlining Rabe’s themes of service members trying to accept the possibility of dying in combat. The story takes place in U.S. Army barracks, where young recruits await their inevitable orders to depart for the treacherous battlefields. They engage in horseplay and banter as they attempt to form friendships, but some marked differences among them – class, race, and sexual orientation – generate unexpected tensions. The edginess of their interactions is exacerbated by their fears of being sent to a place from which they may never return. When two sergeants enter the scene, engaging in drunken revelry to block out the horrors they have experienced in battle, the mix of bravado and suppressed anxiety reached a fever pitch. The irrationality of homophobia becomes a metaphor for the insanity of war, with the resulting conflicts leading to startling outbursts of violence. Romel Jamison heads the list of sterling performances with his hair-raising characterization of Carlyle, a tough-talking African-American whose intimidating exterior can’t quite hide the terrified boy inside. Trent Hopkins and Michael Melvin superbly convey the conflicting emotions of the bullying sergeants. James Coyne gives an intelligent and nuanced portrayal as the openly gay Richie, who stokes the fires of the explosive tensions without realizing he’s doing so. As the possibly closeted Billy, Christian Levatino brilliantly epitomizes the pent-up emotions at the core of Rabe’s themes. Mancini Graves is credible and empathetic as Roger, the voice of reason, who makes a futile attempt to keep peace among his comrades. Be forewarned that scenes of simulated violence and hard-hitting points about the ugliness of war, but Rabe thankfully leavens the horror with the implication that compassion for our fellow humans offers a ray of hope.
KCRW Theatre Talk with James Taylor July 8, 2004
…Rabe returned to the subject of Vietnam in his next work. If Boom Boom Room shows how dated Rabe’s dialogue can seem, his 1976 drama Streamers shows just how timeless his writing can be.
Streamers takes place in the early stages of the Vietnam War, but the themes and emotions are universal enough, that is could be set in a German trench in World War I or an Allied barracks in World War II.
As in Boom Boom Room, Streamers reveals Rabe’s penchant for monologue, but here the long speeches are expressive and if not always realistic, at least plausible.
Streamers is a bit of an old-fashioned, well-made play, but this production by the Gangbusters Theatre Company makes the dialogue and action come to life. The blocking is simple – often clunky – but never distracting, and the penetrating finale is impressively stages.
Most of all, this Streamers has an excellent, young ensemble. The three bunkmates are all played by strong actors, but most impressive is the outsider, Carlyle, played by Romel Jamison in perhaps the best local performance at a small theater so far this year.
Jamison and the cast of Streamers show that one thing has remained constant throughout David Rabe’s career: the ability of his writings to bring out the best in young actors.
Streamers runs through August 1st at the Lex Theater…