Stoneham Theatre's Season 10 begins by looking back-way back-to The Greatest Generation. Studs Terkel won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1985 for The Good War, an oral history of World War II. David H. Bell and Craig Carnelia have adapted Terkel's work for the stage, combining stories of common people with popular music from the WWII era. The result is a nostalgic, alternatingly somber and uplifting document of a generation whose storytellers are themselves fading into history.
Director Bobby Cronin has a plan for breathing life into these stories. "I knew that this was, in a way, a memory play, but I was looking for something more concrete as to whom these people in the story are," Cronin says. "That's when it hit me that they were all ‘ghosts of the war' who are trapped in memory, and need to tell their stories in order to move forward."
With nine actors playing multiple roles, Cronin has an eye on theatricality. "I really like scripts that allow a director to have a strong sense of vision, and this script really gave me strong visual imagery." The cast includes Jerry Bisantz, Jason Bowen, Laura DeGiacomo, Steve Gagliastro, Peter Haydu, Mark Linehan, Brendan McNab, Paul Shafer and Brad Simanski. Cronin often refers to this production of The Good War as "Sisters of Swing 2," both because of the thematic overlap with Stoneham Theatre's 2007 production of Sisters of Swing, and because DeGiacomo and Gagliastro showcased their talents in that production.
Stoneham Theatre is celebrating its local veterans in conjunction with its first production. In addition to soliciting oral histories from veterans in its community, Stoneham Theatre will be hosting an American Legion night on Saturday, September 26 at the 8pm performance. There will also be a talkback with a local veteran on Sunday, September 13 after the 2pm matinee.
The Good War: A Musical Collage of WWII features Music Direction by Todd C. Gordon, Costume Design by Gail Astrid Buckley, Lighting Design by Christopher Ostrom, Scenic Design by Ryan McGettigan, and Sound Design by John Stone.
Studs Terkel's The Good War: A Musical Collage of WWII runs Thursday, September 10 through Sunday, October 4. Tickets are $48 or $44 for adults, and student and senior discounts are available. Stoneham Theatre is located at 395 Main Street in Stoneham. For tickets and information, visit or call the Box Office at 781-279-2200, open Tuesday through Saturday 1-6pm, or visit www.stonehamtheatre.org.
