Anchorage Daily News

WE BOMBED IN NEW HAVEN will presented by UAA at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 9 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $10-$18 at centertix.net or 263-2787.

Joseph Heller's "We Bombed in New Haven" opened at the University of Alaska Anchorage on "Black Friday" -- fitting for a day that, at least in the U.S., has become identified with mindless, shop-till-you-drop consumerism.

Directed by Tom Skore, chairman of the UAA Department of Theatre and Dance, this passionate, if occasionally uneven, performance offers a good, hard look at the "theater" of war.

Written by Heller in 1967 in response to the escalating conflict in Vietnam, "We Bombed" is "not an anti-war play," Skore wrote in the director's notes, "but a play about how difficult it is to do our job when we don't understand our role."

Heller's protagonist, Sgt. Henderson, is an actor playing a soldier who is sure of his own role until the loss of a comrade forces him to re-examine everything he thinks is true. The play is meta-drama -- a play-within-a-play in which the characters know they are actors and aren't afraid to point it out to the audience. Skore has peppered Heller's script with references to UAA and Anchorage, which is occasionally awkward but works well for the most part and certainly heightens the humor in a few places. (Despite the heavy-sounding subject matter, "We Bombed" is, in fact, a comedy.)

Anita Algiene's very effective set design reinforces the loss of the "fourth wall" that traditionally separates actors from the audience; particularly interesting is a translucent plastic scrim that gives the stage a hangar-like feel.

"We Bombed" boasts a large and generally strong cast, with a couple of standout performances. Sgt. Henderson is played beautifully by Danny Jones, who is, as always, riveting. As Henderson, Jones casts aside any regard for the fourth wall and engages theatergoers directly. In fact, Jones told KSKA radio's Mark Muro last week on the "Stage Talk" show that "there is no fourth wall" in this show. It's a role that lets Jones capitalize on his natural charisma and ability to engage an audience.

Luke Bartholomew turns out a strong performance as Capt. Starkey, Henderson's commanding officer. Bartholomew imbues Starkey with a dogged enthusiasm, a bit like a cruise director trying to organize a shuffleboard tournament on a sinking ship.

Robyn Pucay delivers a compelling performance as Starkey's girlfriend, Ruth, one of the few people who seems to have a clue as to what's really going on. Pucay is expressive and radiant, although she tends to talk a little too quickly, and some of her lines get lost in the rush.

Lost lines are, unfortunately, not uncommon in this production. Much of the blocking in the first act has the soldiers delivering lines away from the audience and their voices tend to melt into the cavernous Mainstage Theatre and lose clarity. Other actors seem to feel the need to shout to be heard, particularly Erin Kelahan, who plays the major in charge of Henderson's unit. There are several visual gags that are timed so the audience is laughing while lines are being delivered, obscuring the dialogue.

Some of the technical aspects of "We Bombed" also leave something to be desired, most notably lighting, which is patchy in places, with several dead spots upstage.

Imperfections aside, UAA's production of "We Bombed in New Haven" is thoughtful and timely -- so no one can say they bombed in Anchorage too.

Maia Nolan lives and writes in Anchorage.