THEATER REVIEW: ‘Homefront’ captures worry, patriotism of WWII families

By Diana Nollen

AMANA - Even though “From the Homefront” is set in World War II, its theme is universal.

 When troops are in harm's way during any war, family and friends back home anxiously hold their breath while trying to soldier on, day by day.

Thomas P. Johnson, co-founder of the Iowa Theatre Artists Company, has written a fine play that captures a slice of life for parents who have three sons serving in the Pacific and the neighbors whose 16-year-old son can't wait to enlist.

With a mixture of angst and humor, these two small-town Iowa couples bare their souls on a hot July day in 1944.

The dialogue is so crisp, the situations so true that the wife of a World War II veteran said the performance “was almost too realistic.” Her comments came during a talk-back session with cast and crew following Thursday's opening matinee.

Other audience members shared their war memories, discussing the importance of letters from home; getting out of school to pick milkweed pods to stuff life jackets; being one of 4,000 troops making a weeklong transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary, outfitted with sleeping quarters for 3,000; seeing troop trains parked in Marion, with GIs tossing pennies to passers-by to encourage the sending of penny postcards.

The play, which runs through Nov. 15 onstage in the former Amana Barn Restaurant, is actually two one-act plays that could stand alone, but are even more powerful when performed together.

The first segment, “Blue Star Mother,” shows the women's point of view, with Paula Grady as Maggie, the sharp-tongued mother of three sons deployed in the Pacific, and Meg Merckens as Charlotte, the more meek neighbor who is terrified the war won't end before her son turns 18.

Their daily visit starts with them lamenting wartime shortages of meat, soap and other goods, and includes a hilarious moment when they fantasize about what meat would go well with the abundance of onions from Maggie's victory garden. Despite their differences, they are great friends. No topic is taboo, from black market purchases and censored mail to their sex lives. It's not long, however, before the undercurrent of worry bursts to the top.

The second half, “Victory Garden,” takes the men's point of view, with Robert Gardner as Maggie's husband, Leroy, and Tom Swenson as Charlotte's husband, Harv. Their conversation is more guarded and harsh.

Like Maggie, Leroy is more gruff, his language is more crude and he gives off an almost-antiwar feel, even though he's doing his patriotic duty on the homefront. Harv is eager for his son to enlist, proud that Ronnie wants to go to war and wishing that he could go, too.

Inevitably, their conversation turns heated, leading to a stunning climax that dredges up buried emotions.

All four actors find the best and worst in their characters, creating performances that won't soon be forgotten.

FAST TAKE

What: “From the Homefront,” a play in two acts, featuring “Blue Star Mother” and “Victory Garden”

Where: Iowa Theatre Artists Company's Performing Arts Center, 4709 220th Trl.,

Amana

When: Through Nov. 15

Show times: 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 1:30 p.m. Sunday

Tickets:  $20 adult; $10 students; free passes for WW II veterans with reservations; through

(319) 622-3222  or www.iowatheatreartists.org