With every revival comes the obvious question: why now? Often, at least part of the answer is because an extraordinary cast has been gathered. That’s definitely the case with the new incarnation of David Rabe’s Tony Award-winning play, Sticks and Bones. Director Scott Elliott has assembled a dream cast of actors for this relic of the Vietnam War.
The grimly comic drama centers around a satirical portrayal of the all-American Nelson family we grew to love on TV. As the parents of David (Ben Schnetzer), a son now blind and psychologically ravaged by the effects of what he’s experienced, Harriet (Holly Hunter), Ozzie (Bill Pullman), and formerly carefree younger brother Rick (Raviv Ullman) come face to face with an overwhelming reality which threatens their idyllic life. Even their priest, Father Donald (Richard Chamberlain) is blasted by David, and unable to offer any kind of help or comfort.
Hunter, in a blond wig with bun and bangs, brings to Harriet an almost manic sense of the woman who has kept her family together by never acknowledging anything unpleasant. It’s a joy to see Chamberlain on stage, still looking fit and attractive. For those who have experienced Pullman’s previous excellent work in the theater, most notably in The Goat, it will come as no surprise that he steals the show with his blend of anguish, denial, and foolishness.
The supporting cast is also notable, including Morocco Omari as the tough Sergeant Major who brings David home, and Nadia Gan as the lovely Zung, the Vietnamese woman David loved but failed.
This is not a fun play for date night or the out-of-town relatives who want a cool evening out in The Big Apple. The humor is scorching, the tirades become wearing, and ultimately, the audience leaves feeling more wrung out than enlightened. But I suspect that for anyone who served in Vietnam, as did playwright Rabe, this production will have great resonance, either positive or negative. And, of course, our soldiers have participated in other wars since, often with equally dire consequences to their physical and mental health. Maybe it’s necessary to keep producing shows like Sticks and Bones until that glorious day when no more American lives are shattered by war.
