Actors Theater of Orcas Island announces auditions for Tracers, a powerful, unsettling and ultimately devastating account of the Vietnam War, written and first performed by men who were there.
There will be two audition sessions at The Grange on Wednesday, July 18 at 7 p.m., and again on Sunday, July 22 at 3 p.m. It is only necessary to attend one session.
A composite or collage of interrelated scenes, the play follows the lives of a group of “grunts” as they move from basic training, on to combat in Vietnam, and finally to the shattering realization that their lives will be forever affected by the horrors that they have witnessed—and been a part of. Dealing with the grim realities of the battlefield—free-fire zones, trip wires, drugs, body bags, rat infested bunkers, and the ever-present stench of death—the men become increasingly isolated from the “outside world” and from a society that finds honor in such mindless violence and destruction.
Ultimately the play, through its gut-wrenching realism, becomes a moving and eloquent plea for sanity and forbearance, as it assails our minds and hearts with the grim message of what can happen when conscience is overruled by expedience, and clear reason by a warped sense of national purpose.
The play has roles for seven white males and one black male, ages 25-35. Some physical activity is required, to include the ability to do push-ups.
A copy of the script is available for review at the library.
Tracers will be performed at the Grange in November. Twice a week rehearsals will begin in August, increasing to four rehearsals a week by September.
If you can’t make either of these times or have any questions, call the director, Lin McNulty, at 376-1003.
