TRACERS reviews

Review from LA WEEKLY By Paul Birchall on March 8th, 2008.

"GO!"

When considering director Leon Shanglebee's powerful revival of the famous 1980 Odyssey Theater Ensemble play conceived by John DiFusco, one is tempted to draw parallels between the play's Vietnam War setting and our own generation's ill-advised war of American adventurism. Yet, such comparisons are ultimately misleading, for Shanglebee, in his angry, adrenaline-steeped production, is less interested in politics than in crafting kaleidoscopic portraits of a group of men under unbearably adverse circumstances. DiFusco's drama can be called an impressionistic tragedy: In a series of scattershot vignettes, it tells the story of a group of young men, shipped off to Vietnam as cannon fodder. These include young Dinky Dau (Rommel Jamison), who bides his time between missions playing pointless card games and shooting up heroin, and intellectual soldier Professor (Christian Levatino), whose friendship with the platoon medic (Brian Barth) ends with an unexpected death. Shanglebee's taut and feverish staging elegantly contrasts the boredom of squalid camp life with the horrendous terror that comes with abruptly facing death. With an ensemble of performers who are uncommonly believable playing young soldiers, the stage all but teems with testosterone and aggression. Jamison is particularly striking — his Dinky Dau's boisterous good humor comes across as being just a hairsbreadth from hysteria — and moving turns are also offered by Levatino's sensitive Professor and by James Thomas Gilbert's Brooklyn-accented platoon rookie, Baby San.

Review from BACKSTAGE WEST By Les Spindle on February 30th, 2008.

CRITIC's PICK!

The Gangbusters Theatre Company resurrects John DiFusco's Vietnam War docudrama, which was developed and performed at the Odyssey Theatre in 1980 by eight American veterans of that war. It's a galvanizing piece that fuses surrealistic imagery and startling reality to chart the emotional journeys of soldiers who leave their cherished home lives behind to face horrendous ordeals on fierce battlefields. Though DiFusco and his collaborators chronicled a particular war, the play imparts a universally relevant portrait of human bonding in the face of stark terror and adversity. It's grueling in its unflinching glimpse of wartime hell, yet graced with poetic beauty and flashes of ironic comic relief. Director Leon Shanglebee and an exemplary ensemble capture the work's visceral splendor and profound emotional resonance.

The play consists of a free-flowing collage of recollections rather than a conventional narrative. Opening and closing monologues by six soldiers (Matt Mann, Frank Stasio, James Thomas Gilbert, Romel Jamison, William Christopher Stephens, and Christian Levatino) allow us to reflect on their lives before, during, and after the war. There are two additional characters: the unit's medic, Doc (the excellent Brian Barth), and the ruthless boot-camp drill instructor, Sgt. Williams (played to sadistic perfection by Trent Hopkins). Williams humiliates the "maggots" under his charge and puts them through unbearable physical workouts, yet he subsequently shows compassion when confiding to the audience that most of the recruits won't survive the war.

There's a brilliant yet terrifying scene in which the enemies attack, and there are contrapuntal moments of wild revelry when the soldiers release their tensions during drug-and-alcohol binges as they dance around the stage in a frenzy. Among other mesmerizing segments is one in which the distraught soldiers pick up scattered body parts of their dead comrades and suddenly engage in an insane act: throwing the pieces of carnage at each other. A particularly heart-wrenching episode occurs when the intellectual loner nicknamed Professor (superbly played by Levatino) strikes up a friendship with Doc, leading to an unexpected calamity. Seamlessly rendered and artfully conceived design elements enhance this haunting production of DiFusco's timeless anti-war parable.

Review from THE TOLUCAN TIMES By Pat Taylor on February 29th, 2008.

A hard, cold look at the violent horrors of war and its crippling effects, both emotionally and physically, on those who fight for our country… this is gritty stuff! Written in 1980 by John DiFusco, this play targets the unpopular Vietnam fiasco where we lost 59,000 soldiers. Undeniably, the stories, effects and conditions reverberate still… as similar atrocities play out in Iraq. Have we learned nothing? Will our military Vets ever get the respect, compassion and aid due to them?

DiFusco gathered countless facts and personal tellings in acting workshops, resulting in a group "co-writing" with seven other Vietnam Veteran actors who had been there. He directed the premiere run at L.A.'s Odyssey Theatre many years ago, which was later directed by Gary Sinise for Steppenwolf Theatre. Newsweek wrote, "A landmine of a play that blows complacency to shreds."

Now presented by The Gangbusters Theatre Co., this is an insanely powerful, flawlessly performed production! Under the disturbingly dynamic direction of Leon Shanglebee, a riveting cast of eight men spill their guts, torture their physical strength, and bare their souls… in unbelievably demanding roles! These fine actors, equally mind-blowing, triumph in giving gut-wrenching, "in your face" depictions of life in a war zone that will linger in your mind and heart.

The cast in order of appearance: Matt Mann, Frank Stasio, James Thomas Gilbert, Romel Jamison, William Christopher Stephens, Christian Levatino, Trent Hopkins, and Brian Barth. The realistic set, (Mamie Young), thunderous sound, (Michael Flowers), and dramatic lighting, (Joe Morrisey) add greatly to the harsh realism.

Not for the faint of heart… but an important play that I highly recommend, brilliantly executed on this small stage… do see it!

Review from The BURBANK LEADER By Dink O' Neal on February 29th, 2008.

STELLAR CAST PERFORMS REALITIES OF WAR

The Gangbusters Theatre Company's "Tracers," playing at the Little Victory Theatre in Burbank, is a riveting piece of stage work. Director Leon Shanglebee and a stellar cast of eight bring this retrospective on the personal effects of the Vietnam War to life with chilling ferocity.

Originally created in 1980 by playwright John DiFusco and a group of actual veterans, this mature-themed production isn't for the faint of heart. Brutally honest monologues introduce six characters, each sporting a personalized nickname, who then progress from draftees and recruits to seasoned ground troops. Along the way, they share scenes of fear, bravado, concern, bonding and even self-loathing, resulting in a common sense of brotherhood.

What makes these characters explode from the page to the stage is the work of a flawless ensemble of actors. They endure a physically exhausting boot camp scene administered by Trent Hopkins, who is amazingly authentic as Drill Sgt. Williams. Matt Mann's "Scooter" is a good old country boy who soon becomes hardened by his experiences. As "Little John," Frank Stasio finds the perfect balance between his imposing stature and charming naivete. James Thomas Gilbert's "Baby San" is the cloistered teenager who matures before our eyes. Romel Jamison is outrageously appropriate, as his character, "Dinky Dau," is always seeking out some new form of entertainment for the platoon.

Playing "Habu," the primarily stoic leader of this band, William Christopher Stephens exudes a quiet but effective sense of authority. Christian Levatino's "Professor," an intellectual hippie, is a loner who finds a kindred spirit in Brian Barth's cameo appearance as "Doc," the camp medic.

Their scene discussing various philosophical intricacies over a joint is a beautiful respite from the ravages of the situation they find themselves in. Technically, director Shanglebee has brought together a team of first-rate artists to provide theatrical elements that perfectly support this production.

Scenic designer Mamie Young has draped the walls with camouflage netting while leaving the central playing space open to accommodate the actors' movement. Joe Morrisey's multilayered lighting floods the stage one moment and intimately defines smaller playing spaces the next. Sound effects, credited to Michael Flowers and Erik Bleuer, cover the spectrum from 1960s-era music to spine-tingling battle recreations.

The only quibble might be the show's somewhat confusing conclusion, which seems littered with false endings. After a shockingly realistic, strobe-lit battle scene, the cast first performs a slow-motion movement sequence and then a chant led by Jamison set to the beat of an onstage drum. Still, it's a minor objection, and given America's current situation in the Middle East, this once again timely production is worthy of your attendance and reflection.

Review from ACCESSIBLY LIVE OFF-LINE By Rich Borowy on March 1st, 2008.

John DiFusco's TRACERS, the saga of six young recruits who served during the Vietnam war along with their trails and tribulations both on and off the battle fields, performs as part of the Gangbusters Theatre Company at Burbank's Little Victory Theatre.

In the late 1960's, the nation was up in arms. Political strife was taking its toll as the war in Vietnam was at its peak. Six draftees from various walks of life, ranging from the philosopher, the hippie, the kid from Brooklyn, the burly hunk, to the Black Panther, were to serve fighting for the "cause for peace" thousands of miles away from the homefront in a corner of southeast Asia. After going through Marine boot camp, this crew were to serve within the same platoon taking their civilian personalities while adapting new names. There was "Scooter" (Matt Mann), "Little John" (Frank Stasio),"Baby San" (James Thomas Gilbert), "Dinky Dau" (Romel Jamison), "Habu" (William Christopher Stephens), and "Professor" (Christian Levatino). Through a series of short scenes and scenarios, these six young guys barely old enough to vote, serve in a war taking everything in stride. There is the boredom during the down times, the conflicts encountered with on duty, and the access to easy drugs (and very good sit at that!) And there is the fighting! Many years later through their personal epilogues, they look back at what they experienced. Some survived within their mindset, while others suffer long after their discharge.

This play was originally created when playwright DiFusco communicated with a number of 'Nam vets who reflected back on their tours of duty. This Gangbusters Theatre Company production directed by Leon Shanglebee, is a very powerful depiction of a group of young men who could have backed out to fight (unethical to do, but it was possible), but decided to do what what was considered best for their nation--or so it was assumed! The cast of six who play the featured platoon hold an extensive amount of energy and rhythm. The audience member will become amazed how much the cast goes through, from their fighting in battle to the fighting within their own minds!

Also appearing within the cast is Trent Hopkins and Brian Barth.

Long after the fighting has ended, and "peactimes" evolved back into moments of war, TRACERS still holds a very powerful punch! Today, young recruits continue to fight in a war that is just as unpopular as the 'Nam war was decades before. Not counting the reasons for the war (if any), its location, and the "toys" used to fight the battle, one notion is for sure. Any kind of military conflict is hell for its fighting forces! This stage production is dedicated to those 59,000 who didn't clime upon the freedom bird, as well as those who won't make the flight home today! No matter what battle one may have experienced, this play is worth a good hard look!!