'Miss Saigon' is a play that features a plot derived from the famous dark themes of "Madame Butterfly," which featured a Vietnam veteran who returns to Saigon to a former lover. According to The Observer, a local New York Paper, Miss Saigon is coming to the Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck in May. Returning veterans should considering checking out the play, given that the actors consulted veterans of the Vietnam War to make their roles authentic, full of the realism of the '60s and '70s conflict.
Actors consult veterans to establish realism
"Hearing the first-hand accounts of the war from the vets … was very inspiring and moving, to say the least," said actor Jarek Zabczynsk, according to the source. "As an actor, it makes a role like this feel all that more real when you hear from people who have actually experienced some of what you are trying to portray. It reminds you that this isn't all fantasy, some of these things really happened."
The source noted that some of the actors in the cast had experience contending with post traumatic stress disorder, which may have given insight into the psychological makeup needed to represent a convincing portrait of life for a distraught Vietnam veteran. Former service members who have settled in Rhinebeck for life after service may be interested to see if the play can persuasively show an authentic portrayal of the war.
High School solicits similar advice for play
'Miss Saigon' was also performed in March by Union High School students in New Jersey, according to NJ.com. Like the play being performed next month in New York, the high school actors benefited from the counsel of Vietnam War veterans.
"This whole experience has made me realize the importance of the veterans past, present and future. I will never forget the moment they presented us with the 'Endless Wall' for as long as I live," said high school student Jonathan Duvelson. "The 'Endless Wall' will go on display in the theater room for the cast and those future theatre students to remember the commitment soldiers then and now continue to make."
Life after military, especially for veterans of the Vietnam War, has been an arduous experience. The dedication of actors across the country – seeking to produce a play that is faithful to an honest depiction of life in Indochina during the conflict may pique the interest of former solders. Regardless, whatever your status, civilian or military, get down to New York for 'Miss Saigon.'