New Jersey Stage 2016: Issue 2 | Page 21

One story is And So It Goes by Sheila McDonald, directed by Ruth Brown, about a veteran injured in Afghanistan who is in rehab back in the states. His girlfriend, who has been avoiding him, visits him in his house so they can discuss whether or not they have a future together. Unfortunate Sons by Tom Tunnington, directed by Dan Hickey, is set in Vietnam during the time a soldier has to make a difficult decision. He was drafted and sent to war, but now his tour is over and he’s got a choice to make: return home or re-enlist for another round of duty. Purple Hearts by Paprzycki, directed by Nicole Lerario, is set in a V.A. hospital where a Korean vet has come for his annual checkup. The vet is complaining about the Vietnam vets who he says only bitch, whine, and moan. He’s being taken care of by a male orderly in his forties NewJerseyStage.com who just might change his mind. D Day Again by Martin Lentz, directed by Scott R. Grumbling, is set in a nursing home where two older veterans decide they’re going to jump out of an airplane to be with their buddies at D Day. “Shadows of War” will have a heavy Jersey flavor as five of the directors and writers are from throughout the Garden State. “This festival is going to be special,” said Paprzycki. “And, for me, it’s personal. It’s dedicated to my father. The Korean vet in Purple Hearts is very closely based upon my father. We hadn’t done a one-act festival since we were in the Church basement, so it had been a while. I wanted to do the play about my dad. This play has been done in New York and a reading in Princeton when it won a VSA Arts NJ Award, but it had never been done in Camden.” 2016 - ISSUE 2 Table of Contents 21