[NEohioPAL] Vietnam 101: The War on Campus at Oberlin College's Little Theater, by Rich Orloff '73

[Theater and Dance]

Rich Orloff's Documentary Theater piece

*Vietnam 101: *

*The War On campus*

in Oberlin College's Little Theater

December 4-7, 2008

*OBERLIN, OH*— Based on recollections of over one hundred Oberlin College
students, *Vietnam 101: The War on Campus* follows the journey of one
college community during the Vietnam War years. Told through poignant
monologues and intimate story theater scenes, Orloff's straightforward text
takes the audience on a powerful journey, from Lyndon Johnson's promise not
to expand the war and early, well-behaved protests to the tragedy at Kent
State that shook the nation. The culminating project of Oberlin's Theater
101 class, this collaborative project is directed by Alexander Birnie '10,
Alex Huntsberger '09, Anna Strasser '09 and Elizabeth Woodbury '09 and is
facilitated by Associate Professor Matthew Wright.

*Vietnam 101: The War on Campus *will be performed at Oberlin College's
Little Theater Thursday, Friday, and Saturday December 4-6th at 8 pm and on
Sunday, December 7th at 2 pm. Seating in Little Theater is limited and there
is no late seating. This production is sponsored by the Oberlin College
Theater and Dance Program. Vietnam 101: The War On Campus is a free ticketed
event.

*Production Notes*

*Vietnam 101: The War On Campus* is a unique experience produced by Theater
101, a 60-person introduction to theater class designed to introduce first
years to all aspects of the theatrical world, culminating in a collaborative
production at the end of the year. The production is acted and produced by
students enrolled in the course and directed by the class's four teaching
assistants. The story* *traces the experiences of Oberlin students through
the years of the Vietnam War, bearing special significance to those who know
and love Oberlin itself. Anna Strasser '09, one of the directors believes
that the show "helps connect people to the history of Oberlin. It's a great
way for everyone to learn about and explore what it meant to be an Obie in
the late 60s."

An initial challenge was how to incorporate the entire class into a single
unified theater piece and *Vietnam 101 *was selected in part because of its
adaptability to accommodate a large group of students. The majority of the
class will portray various college-age characters, while other members are
working on production aspects. Though managing all of this has been
challenging, the students and directors alike have found it an invigorating
experience. "The experience has allowed for a more personal connection with
my classmates," says Atty Seigel '12, who is acting in the production. "At
the same time, it has helped to unite us as a whole to create the play."

"*Vietnam 101* is about an awakening," remarks director Alex Huntsberger
'09, "There's a realization that the world is changing, and that unless we
take action to guide and shape that change, what we'll be left with is not
change for the better but change for the worse."

In the current climate of political change and the war in Iraq, *Vietnam 101
*also draws striking parallels between the late 60s and today. "With issues
like the economy, the war, and the election on our minds all the time, I
think all of us can connect to the experiences and feelings of the
characters we portray," says first-year actor Nikki Mitchell.

Strasser is very excited for the play and, like all involved in the
production, has enjoyed the process. "Working with freshmen adds a certain
level of general energy that later gets transformed," she says. "They all
love theater and really want to be performing."

*Cast*: The Students of Theater 101
Production Team: Matthew Wright (Artistic Director), Alex Birnie ('10), Alex
Huntsberger ('09), Anna Strasser ('09), and Elizabeth Woodbury ('09) and The
Students of Theater 101,

 *Rich Orloff (Playwright) *is an Oberlin College grad (class of 1973) from
New York City. His work––including ten full-length plays and over fifty
short plays––has been produced all over the world, from Scotland to
Australia to India. His work has won awards such as the Playwrights First
Award, the Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence, and the Abeles
Foundation Playwrights award among others.

*Matthew Wright (Artistic Director): *is an actor, director, voice and
dialect coach and theater educator whose work has taken him across the
United States. He has directed numerous plays for colleges and universities
including significant productions of: *Vieux Carre, A Bright Room Called
Day, Dancing At Lughnasa, Three Sisters *(at Oberlin College); *Ivanov,
Brand, Hedda Gabler, Holy* *Ghosts, Harvey, Misalliance, *and *1940s Radio
Hour *(all at Florida Atlantic University). Professionally, Matthew has
co-created and directed three performance projects with The Core Ensemble, a
new music chamber orchestra. One of these productions (*Tres Vidas) *continues
to tour internationally since it's debut in 2001. Other professional
directing projects include work at City Theatre *(Summer Shorts, *1998 and
1999*), *FloridaStage (staged readings of *Fish or Cut Bait *and *Beeluther-
* *hatchee), *the Caldwell Theatre Company (staged reading of *Fanny and
Walt*) and The Miami International Book Fair (reduced version of *The Cherry
Orchard). *Matthew has served on the faculties of The Ohio State University,
Wright State University and Florida Atlantic University where he headed the
graduate actor-training program for ten years. He currently serves as
Associate Professor of Theater at Oberlin College where he teaches a variety
of acting studios. Matthew has been a proud member of Actors' Equity
Association since 1988.
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