Soldier's Tale, The

Although Company Club Guy’s production of The Soldier’s Tale uses Igor Stravinsky’s music, the play should not be confused with either the originally conceived ballet or the subsequently original staged drama. What is alike in the contemporary production staged for the Bitef Festival is that this theater piece combines spoken drama, music, and dance integrally to convey “travel through imaginary yet true events and emotions.”

In place of the original Russian folk tale is one that is told in monologues by a veteran contemporary soldier who faces a moral dilemma. He rolls out of a military-like bed on a side of the stage close to the audience to tell of his actions against an enemy. They include murder. He is plagued by doubt about the reasons for these and how to proceed with life as a civilian.

Close in the background of the soldier’s beginning remarks are a couple of dancers, ostensibly lovers. The soldier speaks of his anxiety about loving a woman and going about ordinary life. A surprise is that the male dancer proceeds completely nude while the female is fully clothed. The dance ends with him being wrapped in her dark outer clothing.

In total, the soldier speaks from four different spaces: the original, then the far back right (in front of another bed, but more of a cot), to the far left, and finally to the center front. In each space there are dancers to illustrate his stories of his plight to understand the conflict in which he was involved. He’s also been conflicted as a civilian.

The soldier’s memories hurt his employment status. He’s had to apply for his military record. At work he’s taken for older than age 24. Lights swirl around the dancers, who themselves swirl around poles and a high structure that may suggest a circus act or simply a place to climb and then be forced down.

The end is up front for everyone. All are in turns emotionally high and let down. The soldier stops but it seems a temporary pause on his journey to reconcile himself with himself. And maybe others.

None of this seemed new to me. Once again at the BITEF Festival, illustrated monologue is the dramatic form. The action (really activity) was left to illustrative dancers. As usual, I liked Stravinsky’s music and appreciated the effort put forth by the soldier-narrator. Luckily, the dancers never bumped into him, though they sometimes came close enough to create suspense.