Description

This award-winning play beautifully examines the changing American landscape. It tells the story of one woman’s struggles set against the backdrop of four warsefrom World War II to the present. Filled with luscious poetic imagery, (The Record) Times of War is written in four sections: The Nearness of You, How to Boil a Frog, Early Morning and Now Comes the Night. The play begins with the comically poignant romance The Nearness of You. Young Doris and her brassy friend, Arlene, meet two soldiers heading off to World War II. Set in a dance hall, romance blooms as the characters’ fears and dreams for the future are revealed. How to Boil a Frog (set in 1969), with the older, wiser Doris clandestinely meeting a young man at a carnival, is dazzling old-fashioned theater, all words and gestures and genuine drama. (Times Union) Doris is accused of a shocking crime in Early Morning (set in 1994). A tense cat-and-mouse drama ensues at the police precinct between Doris and Detective Diamantini. He feels compassion for her, yet is driven to discover the truth of what actually happened. Times of War ends with Now Comes the Night (set in 2006) as Doris must face a life-threatening challenge. Refusing to be discarded, Doris comes full circle while cared for by her daughter and a young male nurse. Deeply satisfying. (The Post Star) Unit set. Approximate running time: 2 hours. These plays may be performed individually or as a full evening.