The show will be performed at 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, March 2-5 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6. There will be a matinee performance for high schools students at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 3.
Based on true stories, this play follows six American women who served in the Vietnam War - four nurses, a Red Cross volunteer and a USO performer. When the women visit the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., 10 years after the war, they are forced to reevaluate their traumatic past. Through their lives, the play commemorates the courageous service of an estimated 11,000 women who were irrevocably transformed by that war.
“I wanted to bring this play to Center Stage because there are not many plays about the role of American women in war,” said Hal Berry, SCC professor of history and theater and director of the play. “The courageous women who served in the Vietnam War deserve to be honored for the many sacrifices they made, and this play attempts to tell their stories.”
Berry is working with local chapters of the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) on the production, who have endorsed the play as a fine example of what women face in the war and at home. Len Berkel, president of local VVA Chapter 458, will provide an exhibit of Vietnam replica weapons and other artifacts, which will be on display the same nights as the play. Berry is also receiving help and consultation from former Army nurse and Vietnam veteran, Kathy Perrin, who sat down with the actresses and told them her experiences.
“As nurses in the Vietnam War, we tried to smile and be as encouraging as possible, even if we didn't feel like it because we knew we had to,” Perrin said. “I wanted to make sure the girls understood what it was like over there.”
A photography exhibit of the Vietnam War will also be on display, courtesy of John Hosier.
The production staff includes: Lonna Wilke, set and lighting design; Jeff Roop, sound design and technical director; Deborah Phillips, costume design, hair and makeup; Erin Haupt, musical coordinator; Chris Ferguson, combat choreographer; Jordyn Wofford, dance choreographer; and Christina Pohrer, stage manager.
Cast members include: Courtney Hooker as Martha, Samantha Bonomo as Mary Jo, Nicole Ortiz as Sissy, Tracy Bono as Whitney, Carlysle Garland as Lee Ann, Selena Steed as Steele, Jordyn Wofford as Jane, and Jason Flauaus and Brent Pollard as soldiers.
Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and college students with ID, and free for SCC students with ID. Tickets will be offered at a special reduced price of $4 for everyone on Wednesday, March 2. To purchase tickets, call the SCC Box Office at 636-922-8050. For additional information, visit www.stchas.edu/calendar. St. Charles Community College is located at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville.
St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences, and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational, and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.