THE STORY: Home on leave before shipping off to Vietnam, two young recruits have been given the use of a lakeside cabin by a prosperous local farmer. Disturbed by the mixed reception given them by some of the townspeople (for whom the U.S. involvement in Vietnam is very much a debatable issue), they hole up in the cottage with two local girls, friends from high-school days, as constant companions. Their intention is to spend their time partying and “making out,” but the spectre of what awaits them is never out of mind, and when their benefactor announces that he has “connections” that will make it possible to have them reassigned to duty in California they are cautiously hopeful. But the inevitable, in the end, cannot be avoided: Their girlfriends are hesitant to become seriously involved with young men in their unpredictable situation, and their patron’s influence proves to be less than he claimed. When their leave is over they ship out, one to die in combat, the other to return home sobered and saddened by his experiences but, as the play ends, hopeful of picking up the pieces of his life and making a fresh start.
This probing, warmly humorous play by one of our theatre’s most accomplished playwrights uses the outer bravado and exuberance of two Vietnam-bound GI’s to expose their inner fears and vulnerability.
“…tenderly observed coming-of-age play…” —New York Post.
“…homespun humor and a gift for local color…” —The New York Times.