Bringing War Home
Emporia High production tells story of women in Vietnam
By Jennifer Roblez
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
“A Piece of My Heart,” is a play about women in Vietnam that Amanda Stice, director of theater at Emporia High School, heard about two years ago.
She missed seeing it at a state theater conference, but caught up with a student production in Lincoln, Neb., at an international competition this summer. Seven EHS students saw it with her and after the final curtain they all turned to Stice and said, “We have to do it!” And they did.
The play will be staged at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the school’s theater.
The award-winning play by Shirley Lauro centers on “the true stories of six courageous women sent to Vietnam and their struggle to make sense of a war that forever changed them and a nation that shunned them,” according to her Web site, www.shirleylauro.com/work4.htm.
The Irish Times said, “In ‘A Piece of My Heart’ ...there’s what amounts dramatically to an almost religious expiation — a final recognition of what actually went on in Vietnam and afterwards...”
Stice, who teaches speech and theater, tears up just talking about EHS’s production, which she calls “the best, most moving show ever.”
She held open auditions and 30 students wanted a part. She cast 12 girls and four boys; six girls play the main characters and six girls have other roles. The boys play soldiers and other characters.
“It’s timely. We’re in a war right now and even those who say we shouldn’t be there are concerned about the sacrifices given by our loved ones, families and friends,” Stice said.
Frank Lowery and Ron Brockelman of the Soden’s Grove All Veterans Memorial Association helped EHS students learn more about Vietnam for the play, as did Marsha O’Conner of Neodesha whose nursing uniform she wore in Vietnam is worn by an actress in the EHS production.
Vietnam memorabilia, provided by Larry Hall, will be on display outside the auditorium.
“We’re trying to make this as authentic and real as possible,” Stice said, without a lot of bombs and blood. “We leave that to the imagination.”
F Tickets to “A Piece of My Heart,” which cost $5, will be sold at the door before the 7 p.m. productions on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call the school at 341-2365.
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