WHAT: Tracers, a play by John DiFusco, et al.
WHERE: Little Victory Theatre, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
WHEN: February 29- April 6, 2008. Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm and Sundays @ 4pm.
ADMISSION: $25.
RESERVATIONS AND INFORMATION: (818) 841-5422
ONLINE TICKETING: www.thevictorytheatrecenter.org
"Tracers"
was created in 1980 by a group of Vietnam veterans. The play concerns
the reality, grittiness and horror of on-the-ground combat, avoiding
Hollywood glorification of the fighting experience by fixing on the
memories of men who actually lived through the consequences of what up
until then had been America's most appalling foreign policy blunder (if
war is, as the old saying goes, the failure of diplomacy).
It's
the story of six soldiers, their medic, and their drill instructor. The
six are a fighting unit, with all the bickering, the petty infighting,
the camaraderie, the affection and the devotion of a marriage. They are
described by the play's conceiver, John DiFusco, as "young men laughing
in the face of evil." The greatest victory available from the war may
be the simple act of remaining alive. Some will, some won't.
The
show takes its name from colorfully tipped bullets that streak across
the sky when fired: "Make the first two or three rounds tracers. That
way, when you see two red streaks in a row, you know you're runnin' out
of ammo."
America is once again at war. Did we learn
anything from the Vietnam experience? Over 3,000 Americans have died in
Iraq, a terrible sacrifice that nonetheless pales in comparison to the
59,000 we lost in Vietnam . If America ever forgets the lessons of the
Vietnam conflict, "Tracers" is here to remind her. Most significant
among its messages are those of understanding and compassion for its
veterans.messages that should be remembered when regarding veterans of
the current conflict in Iraq.
"Tracers" is, unfortunately, the most timely that it has been in years. Audiences need to see and hear it again.
"This is an evening in the theater you should not miss---both as a theatergoer and as a > person."---New York Post
"A land mine of a play that blows complacency to shreds."---Newsweek
"Most of all bear in mind that this play is based on truth."---John DiFusco
