"Letters From 'Nam" makes world premiere in Beverly

By SHEILA BARTH

Essex County Newspapers

BEVERLY _ Los Angeles playwright Paris Barclay said he received several offers to premiere his show "Letters From `Nam," especially from theatres on the West Coast where he lives.

But Barclay chose the North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly's 1,800-seat theater-in-the-round, because of its intimate, cozy set-up.

He saw "A Christmas Carol" here, and loved the way the theater staff used the round stage and platforms set up amidst the audience.

"This is a classy musical theater," he said.

"Letters From `Nam," which opened Sept. 4 and runs through the 23rd, is an upbeat look at the Vietnam Era, using authentic letters written by soldiers that were sent home to families and friends. It highlights the softer, more intimate side of the war instead of the scenes usually portrayed in brutal, battle movies.

"Many people are afraid of this play and think it will be a downer, but the letters we chose are funny, uplifting, and patriotic, and contain a lot of words you don't associate with Vietnam ...," Barclay said. "We focus on heroes doing their daily jobs and who saved each others' lives daily."

Barclay uses six soldiers and the mother of a helicopter pilot, Eleanor Wimbish of Maryland, (played by award-winning actress-singer Maureen McGovern), who frequently visits the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. to leave letters there. One of those letters is the climax of this play.

"She represents all of us at home, the recipient of those letters, the consoling voice that tells the soldiers everything's OK, even when she hears bad things are happening over there, and she tries to advise her son," he said. He added, "We know the fates of all the letter writers ... and we let the audience know their fate during the play. Some of them came back as heroes."

Others didn't come back. Besides Eleanor's son, Billy, we'll meet Marion, a male medic; George, a career soldier who likes war and is sergeant of his platoon; Tyrone, the lieutenant and leader; Alan, the grunt, or Private First Class; and Rick, a "paper soldier," or company clerk much like Radar O'Reilly in "MASH."

Barclay was inspired to write "Letters from `Nam" after reading the first poem of Bernard Edelman's collection of letters and poems in his book, "Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam." The poem, written by soldier Michael Davis O'Donnell, entitled "If You Are Able," is the last song in the play.

Barclay set the play in a "theatrical" year that actually spans 1965 to 1975. His music is based on the hits of that time, such as the Beatles, the Association, in a Burt Bacharach style. There's lots of Doo Wopp, and songs from the Temptations and Elvis, too, popular music of the 1950s and later.

"The action is in the round, on the mainstage, set up as though it's Vietnam, and they build places in the audience, such as where the mother lives," said Barclay. "There are quite a few surprises, scenic surprises, that will transform the theater into Vietnam, in creative ways."

Barclay favors in-the-round instead of the regular stage, because the audience becomes a participant. "These are letters written to home and we are the people back home," he said.

He has another reason for holding the play in Beverly, he added. Besides revisiting the Boston area, when he attended Harvard and was the roommate of Arthur Golden, author of "Memoirs of a Geisha," he wrote other musicals that appeared on New York stages in the 1980s. Many of the letters and poems written by Vietnam soldiers that Edelman gathered were penned by soldiers from New York, and Barclay thinks they and their families will travel to Beverly to see this premiere.

Be aware the play contains adult themes and subject matter suitable for high school students and older.

The fall season continues at North Shore Music Theatre with Zorba, Oct. 2-21, starring Olympia Dukakis and Louis Zorich; and Miss Saigon, Oct. 30-Nov. 18.

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