VIETNAM VETERAN THEATRICAL NARRATIVES by Amanda Boyle Submitted to the Graduate Degree Program In
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MEN, MEMORY, AND MEMORIAL: VIETNAM VETERAN THEATRICAL NARRATIVES By Amanda Boyle Submitted to the graduate degree program in Theatre and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ________________________________ Chairperson Henry Bial ________________________________ Jane Barnette ________________________________ Rebecca Rovit ________________________________ Nicole Hodges Persley ________________________________ Adrian Lewis Date Defended: May 9, 2016 The Dissertation Committee for Amanda Boyle certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: MEN, MEMORY, AND MEMORIAL: VIETNAM VETERAN THEATRICAL NARRATIVES ________________________________ Chairperson Henry Bial Date approved: May 12, 2016 ii Abstract This dissertation is a study of Vietnam War veteran narratives and how they are presented on stage. I argue that these plays are a form of commemoration of the Vietnam War and those who fought in it. I eXamine three plays: Medal of Honor Rag (1976) by Tom Cole, Still Life (1982) by Emily Mann, and Tracers (1983) by John DiFusco, et al. There are hundreds of plays and musicals written directly about the war. Through a dramaturgical methodology I combine teXtual analysis, production research, interviews with two of the three playwrights, academic scholarship on the plays, my own staged reading of Still Life in February 2015, and select oral/written histories from Vietnam veterans to illustrate how the plays function as commemorative-storytelling of the veteran experience. Each chapter is a dramaturgical case study that could be used for production. The plays each have a wide range of topics, motifs, and themes, many of which I address, including the overlapping themes of wounding (moments of injury and psychological repercussions), coming home (surviving the war and returning home), and commemorating (via medals and memorials). iii Acknowledgements I would like to take this opportunity to eXpress my gratitude to a number of people who helped me throughout the PhD program and the dissertation process. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Henry Bial. He has been a champion, supporter, and true advisor over the last four years. I also want to thank the other members of my committee: Nicole Hodges Persley who continued to support my timeline and my artistic endeavors, Rebecca Rovit who taught me to question and challenge my own perceptions, Jane Barnette who graciously joined the team when I needed a dramaturgical sensibility, and Adrian Lewis who opened my eyes to the deep history of the Vietnam War. My passion for dramaturgy is credited to my mentor, Felicia Londré. In addition, I am thankful to all of the playwrights, producers, and directors that took the time to speak with me (in person, on the phone, and via email) about their involvement in these plays as well as all the people I spoke with at TeXas Tech University. Emily Mann gave me the motivation and inspiration to connect to these stories personally. John DiFusco has remained in constant contact and has shared images and information with me throughout the writing process. Tom Cole died in 2009, but I am grateful to him for telling Dwight Johnson’s story. My friends and family played a major role through this process and I cannot say “ thank you” enough. Jeanne, Alison, Danny and Scott—thank you! A great deal of thanks goes to my family—Mom, Dad, Jessica, Andy, Rowan, and Ruby—for their continued support, encouragement, and patience as I navigated this degree. Your homes have given me an escape and a place to put the dissertation aside for a iv moment in order to just be me. And to my soon-to-be family—David, Lynda, Kathryn, John, Chris, Lauren, Will, and Claire—I am grateful for your laughter, family meals, and football games. I also must thank my wonderful “editors,” Mom, Ryan, and Dan O’Connell. My final thanks goes to my greatest love, my best friend, and my lifelong cheerleader, Ryan. I have said, on more than one occasion, that I would not have survived the PhD without him and this remains true. He stayed up late, made sacrifices, edited papers (including this one), had the patience of a saint, and still asked me to marry him. I look forward to our neXt adventure. I dedicate this dissertation to my father, David Boyle. My dad has always been a hero in my eyes, but this project allowed me to recognize just how great of a hero, man, and father he has been to me. He showed bravery in Vietnam and in sharing his experiences. I am grateful and proud that he shared his story with me and that he let me share it with others. Because of my father, this project has been a personal project as well as a scholarly one. Papa, I will always tell your story. v Table of Contents ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ IV INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 Memorializing the War .................................................................................................................... 27 Archiving the War .............................................................................................................................. 32 Framing: Approaching the War from History and Performance ................................... 39 Medal of Honor Rag by Tom Cole ................................................................................................. 42 Still Life by Emily Mann ................................................................................................................... 45 Tracers by John DiFusco, Vincent Caristi, Richard Chaves, Eric E. Emerson, Rick Gallavan, Merlin Marston, Harry Stephens, and Sheldon Lettich .................................. 46 Telling War Stories ............................................................................................................................ 49 CHAPTER 1: MEDAL OF HONOR RAG BY TOM COLE ................................................... 51 Tom Cole: Playwright and Scholar .............................................................................................. 52 Dwight Johnson: A Black Veteran ............................................................................................... 53 TeXt Analysis and Theoretical Applications ........................................................................... 62 The Psychological and Logistical Difference of the Vietnam War ................................ 65 The Wounds of War ........................................................................................................................... 74 Commemorating the War ............................................................................................................... 78 Soldiers Coming Home: PTSD ....................................................................................................... 85 Past Productions ................................................................................................................................. 99 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 103 CHAPTER 2: STILL LIFE BY EMILY MANN .................................................................... 105 Emily Mann: Women and the War ........................................................................................... 106 TeXt Analysis and Theoretical Applications ........................................................................ 127 Men at War ......................................................................................................................................... 129 The Veteran’s Archive and Repertoire .................................................................................... 132 Women and the War ....................................................................................................................... 141 The Wounds of War ......................................................................................................................... 148 Commemorating the War ............................................................................................................. 151 Soldiers Coming Home: PTSD ..................................................................................................... 154 Past Productions ............................................................................................................................... 159 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 169 CHAPTER 3: TRACERS BY JOHN DIFUSCO, AND VINCENT CARISTI, RICHARD CHAVES, ERIC E. EMERSON, RICK GALLAVAN, MERLIN MARSTON, HARRY STEPHENS, AND SHELDON LETTICH ............................................................................ 172 John DiFusco: Veteran as Playwright ..................................................................................... 173 TeXt Analysis and Theoretical Applications ........................................................................ 191 Bookends: Prologue and Epilogue ...........................................................................................