These are stories that must be told; stories of a journey that must be shared.
“It’s a journey that the country travelled. It’s a journey that these women travelled,” Director Madeline Franklin said. “It’s a journey that all American women travelled in Vietnam.
Elgin Theatre Company presents “A Piece of My Heart” Feb. 2-18 at Elgin Art Showcase in downtown Elgin. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. The Sunday shows will include with American Sign Language interpretation by Andrew Ross. At each performance, Elgin Theatre Company’s concession area will be accepting donations for the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton.
Based on the book “A Piece of My Heart” by Keith Walker, which tells the stories of 26 women who served in Vietnam, the play by Shirley Lauro introduces the audience to six women.
According to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, approximately 11,000 women served in Vietnam, of which about 90 percent were nurses in the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The six women the audience meets in the play are a compilation of the 26 women interviewed in Keith Walker’s book.
“We meet up with them at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall, which was dedicated Nov. 13, 1982,” Franklin said. “We see them who they are now, and go back in time to them getting on a plane and their personal journeys as they struggled with the horrors of war.”
The stories, which begin and end as each woman leaves a personal token at the wall during its dedication. Mature language includes discussion of mass casualties, rape in the military, drugs, alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder and the effects of Agent Orange.
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“It’s a powerful tableau of the horrors of war and the emotional impact on the lives of these fearless women who served in Vietnam,” Franklin said.
While working on the production, the cast and crew did extensive research and also met with veterans about their experiences during and after the war.
“We’re telling the truth,” Franklin said. “And the actors have to get into the hearts and minds of those who served.”
While Elgin Theatre Company is no stranger to powerful dramas, “A Piece of My Heart” is different than other productions.
“It’s a shocking piece of literature and it’s a phenomenal piece of literature. It is a great play, and I am very happy that Elgin Theatre Company took this risk. It is a departure from what we normally do,” Franklin said. “Yes we do dramas, but we don’t do this stylized drama. And it’s pretty incredible.”
“We’re telling true life dramas of six women and their journeys to Vietnam and after Vietnam,” Franklin said. “It is a must-see. It’s a must-know. And we must never forget.”
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
‘A Piece of My Heart’
When: Feb. 2-18
Where: Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., 8th Floor, Elgin
Tickets: $18 adult; $15 students 18 and younger with school ID/seniors
Information: 847-741-0532; www.elgin-theatre.org