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Having returned from serving in Afghanistan, young officer Michael is struggling to adapt to life at home when Halley, a 12 year old pathfinder rolls into his room in her wheelchair. These two disparate individuals animate Governor General award winning playwright Collen Murphy’s acclaimed play Armstrong’s War. Initially very resistant to Halley’s visit, her tenacity and determination to succeed eventually wins Michael over, and in time the two tell stories of their own – Michael’s deafening accounts of his experiences of war and Halley’s struggles to live an active life while stuck in a wheelchair. These conversations take place between readings of Stephen Crane’s classic novel The Red Badge of Courage as the play interrogates how our experiences often define us and what it really means to be a hero. As conversations about mental health become less stigmatized, Armstrong’s War confronts the issues that scare us in real life with sensitivity, thoughtfulness and humour. Armstrong’s War plays at the Baby Grand Theatre March 9 – 25. For tickets please visit the Grand Theatre box office, online or call (613) 530-2050.
CAST Josh Johnston Amariah Faulkner CREATIVE Playwright: Colleen Murphy Director: Craig Walker Lighting Designer: Tim Fort Set / Costume Designer: Andrea Robertson-Walker Stage Management: Jane Vanstone Osborn |
Armstrong's War ... "Armstrong’s War explores with compassion and an understanding of what it’s like, on several levels, to be in battle and suffer for that conflict, no matter what the outcome"
