Premiere of “Last of the Boys” tonight in Greene
GREENE – Set in 1999, Steven Dietz’s “Last of the Boys” is a moving, sometimes funny, and always incendiary play about a life long friendship, about how a girl honors her missing father, about how a man deals with the loss of his own, about a hidden conversation that won’t go away. Two vets, sharing beer, whiskey and a secret neither wants to discuss. The play debuts tonight on the Chenango River Theatre stage in Greene.
Remember America, the mid-late 60s? A war that was unpopular. And unwinnable. A lesson we would always remember. 485,000 troops deployed. 59,000 never came home. For many who did, the war, and the public reaction to those returning veterans here at home, took its toll. It’s a story with stunning resonance today. Pick up a Time Magazine from the late 60s and read the debate between “stay the course” or “cut and run.” That debate still rages. But that debate too often overlooks the real people involved and how their experiences shaped their lives, and ours. “Last of the Boys” is Ben and Jeeter’s story, first and foremost, but it’s also our story.
Ben and Jeeter meet every summer at the beat up mobile home where Ben lives in the middle of a toxic dump in (where else?) California. Jeeter, still using memories of meeting Bob Dylan to pick up chicks, now teaches a college course on the 60s. Ben, whose father was once an aide to Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense during the buildup in Vietnam, is now a carpenter, still trying to rebuild his own life.
“Last of the Boys” is a story “about two Vietnam vets and their friendship and the strands of their life, who they affect and who they are affected by” (Steven Dietz, author). There are thousands of similar stories still out there, buried deep that will never come to light.
Chenango River Theatre’s Artistic Director Bill Lelbach directs the production. Jeeter is played by Steven Patterson, last seen in this area in CRT’s first ever production, “The Foreigner.” Ben is portrayed by Bernard Sheredy, who has worked at major regional theatres throughout the country, as well as in television and feature films. Lija Fisher plays the pivotal role of Salyer. Well-known area actress Dori May Ganisin plays Lorraine, Salyer’s volatile mother, and Lesley Billingsley plays the ghostly Young Soldier.
For all veterans (and companions attending with them), tickets are just $14. Vets need only identify themselves as vets when ordering their tickets.
“Last of the Boys” is co-produced by Pete & Karen Raymond and Bonnie’s Restaurant. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30, plus Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., July 23 – Aug. 15 at Chenango River Theatre, 991 State Highway 12, Greene (just 20 minutes north of Binghamton). Tickets are $18 Thursdays, $19 Fridays & Sundays, and $22 on Saturdays. All performances start on time and there is no late seating. The box office opens one half hour before curtain.
The 24 Hour Reservation Line accepts reservations at any time at 607 656-8499 (TIXX). Tickets may be charged to MasterCard, Visa or Discover. The opening night performance on July 23 is sold out. For more information: www.chenangorivertheatre.org.
Remember America, the mid-late 60s? A war that was unpopular. And unwinnable. A lesson we would always remember. 485,000 troops deployed. 59,000 never came home. For many who did, the war, and the public reaction to those returning veterans here at home, took its toll. It’s a story with stunning resonance today. Pick up a Time Magazine from the late 60s and read the debate between “stay the course” or “cut and run.” That debate still rages. But that debate too often overlooks the real people involved and how their experiences shaped their lives, and ours. “Last of the Boys” is Ben and Jeeter’s story, first and foremost, but it’s also our story.
Ben and Jeeter meet every summer at the beat up mobile home where Ben lives in the middle of a toxic dump in (where else?) California. Jeeter, still using memories of meeting Bob Dylan to pick up chicks, now teaches a college course on the 60s. Ben, whose father was once an aide to Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense during the buildup in Vietnam, is now a carpenter, still trying to rebuild his own life.
“Last of the Boys” is a story “about two Vietnam vets and their friendship and the strands of their life, who they affect and who they are affected by” (Steven Dietz, author). There are thousands of similar stories still out there, buried deep that will never come to light.
Chenango River Theatre’s Artistic Director Bill Lelbach directs the production. Jeeter is played by Steven Patterson, last seen in this area in CRT’s first ever production, “The Foreigner.” Ben is portrayed by Bernard Sheredy, who has worked at major regional theatres throughout the country, as well as in television and feature films. Lija Fisher plays the pivotal role of Salyer. Well-known area actress Dori May Ganisin plays Lorraine, Salyer’s volatile mother, and Lesley Billingsley plays the ghostly Young Soldier.
For all veterans (and companions attending with them), tickets are just $14. Vets need only identify themselves as vets when ordering their tickets.
“Last of the Boys” is co-produced by Pete & Karen Raymond and Bonnie’s Restaurant. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30, plus Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., July 23 – Aug. 15 at Chenango River Theatre, 991 State Highway 12, Greene (just 20 minutes north of Binghamton). Tickets are $18 Thursdays, $19 Fridays & Sundays, and $22 on Saturdays. All performances start on time and there is no late seating. The box office opens one half hour before curtain.
The 24 Hour Reservation Line accepts reservations at any time at 607 656-8499 (TIXX). Tickets may be charged to MasterCard, Visa or Discover. The opening night performance on July 23 is sold out. For more information: www.chenangorivertheatre.org.
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