War is hell, oh the humanity, yadda yadda yadda. Artists often have plenty to say about the subject of warfare, usually with a predictably antiwar sentiment—but not all of them have seen it as up-close and horrible as Tobin Atkinson has.
Atkinson, in addition to co-founding Plan-B Theatre Company in 1991, was an infantry rifleman who served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. His experience launched the process of creating these three one-act plays for Meat & Potato Theatre about ordinary people in impossible circumstances. In Use of Force, a female Army medic (Deena Marie Manzanares, who is also a videographer for CityWeekly.net) deals with the question of how much force is too much; Coyoteway finds a man (Atkinson) defending his violent behavior; and 2CC shows a citizen (Jay Perry) dealing with an extreme questioning of patriotism. Join Atkinson and company to explore his unique perspective on the psychology of warfare.
The Infantry Monologues @ Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. 300 South, 801-355-ARTS, May 21–31. MeatAndPotato.org
