ReEntry

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ReEntry

Two River Theater Company at Urban Stages

Reviewed by Clifford Lee Johnson III

February 12, 2010

Photo by Michael Portantiere

Anyone interested in the magic kindled by human beings speaking words of importance on a simple stage should investigate "ReEntry," the powerful new production that Urban Stages has imported from Two River Theatre Company in Red Bank, N.J. This account of the plight many Marines face as they return from Afghanistan and Iraq and attempt to re-enter civilian life is high-wattage theater that forces us to look into ourselves by peering deeply into the souls of others.

Not a play in the traditional sense, "ReEntry" is a tapestry of interwoven stories culled from hours of interviews that playwrights Emily Ackerman and K.J. Sanchez (who also directs) conducted with actual Marines and their families. There is no plot or dramatic conflict; instead, a handful of characters—some ordinary, some fire-breathing—tell us their tales in their own voices. For the most part, Sanchez places her actors in the center of Marion Williams' appropriately austere stage and allows them to speak directly to us, wisely creating the intimacy of a conversation. The result is 80 minutes of alternately scalding, moving, and highly entertaining theater.

"ReEntry" begins with the commanding officer, an Iraq veteran, addressing the audience as if we were the parents of Marines coming home from war. He tells us what to expect of what's become of our children, setting a no-nonsense tone for the tales that follow. Before long we are introduced to John and Charlie, brothers who enlisted and fought in the Middle East, and their mom and sister. This quartet's story forms the backbone of the piece, and we return to them repeatedly throughout. But we also meet Tommy, who was wounded alongside Charlie and is now blind, as well as Pete and Maria, a "Marine family."

For these men, re-entry is almost impossible, so vastly different are the worlds on either side of the gulf they must cross. Alcoholism, suicide, and repeated redeployments are common. Even the commanding officer feels he has to hide his feelings behind a "stone mask," until it becomes too heavy to maintain.

Testimony theater is only as good as its performers, and "ReEntry" boasts a splendid collection of them in P.J. Sosko, Bobby Moreno, Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris, and Sheila Tapia. But the performance that holds the show together belongs to Joseph Harrell, a former Marine himself, whose quiet authority and unsentimental voice bring a sense of truth, gravity, and grace to all that transpires around him.

"ReEntry" has no political point to make and nothing to tell us that we haven't heard before about returning warriors. All it does is place hot-blooded life on the stage, a rare accomplishment that deserves to be lauded and, more importantly, seen.

Presented by and at Urban Stages, 259 W. 30th St., NYC. Feb. 11–March 7. Wed.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 2 p.m. (212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.