Long Way Home, The

In The Long Way Home, John DiFusco looks back at the origins of his world-changing Vietnam war play, Tracers, with characteristic power, honesty and compassion. A not-quite one-man show -- Al. Keith deftly helps with percussion and voices -- The Long Way Homeis dedicated to "the 59,000 who missed The Freedom Bird" -- in other words, all those who died in that terrible and unnecessary war.

Tracers was first produced in 1980, but it is still relevant today, as DiFusco points out, with Iraq and Afghanistan continuing to put young American soldiers in harm's way (and the local populace suffering grievously as well). That is why Tracers continues to be performed around the world: its anti-war theme is both universal and timeless.

How that play grew from a workshop collaboration between DiFusco and a small group of angry, blasted Nam vets to become a landmark theatrical event makes for a compelling story. DiFusco tells it well, commanding the stage as he describes the evolution of the experimental project, bringing to life the various characters who proved important to Tracers’ success -- Ron Sossi at the Odyssey Theater in L.A., Gary Sinise at Steppenwolf in Chicago, and finally Joseph Papp at the Public Theater in New York City.

On one level, The Long Way Home is a case study in the creative process, the making of a famous play; but in a deeper sense, it is a meditation on the nature of war, the impact it has on those who have lived and survived it, often with dark psychic consequences.

The play is not all darkness, though. On the contrary, it is speckled with humor, bawdiness and laughter, especially in its depiction of 60s parties, pot-smoking and love affairs.

DiFusco also investigates some of the Native-American rituals which have influenced him. With the help of director John Perrin Flynn, he manages to juggle all these balls in dexterous fashion, aided by the judicious use of video projection.