Marquette Theatre’s ‘A Piece of My Heart’

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Marquette Theatre 'A Piece of My Heart' logo

The women who were involved in the Vietnam War went through their own kind of hell. It’s not the type of thing that gets a whole lot of attention in and amidst the horrors of an incredibly dark point in history both for the U.S. and Vietnam. Marquette University Theatre explores the grim realities of history from the perspective of several different women in A Piece of My Heart.Director Debra Krajec assembles a talented cast onstage with an intimate audience for a gripping emotional journey. An ensemble of actresses draws from a range of different historical experiences as they deliver monologues on a minimal set with simple costuming. 

As the drama opens, each character introduces herself. Playwright Shirley Lauro has chosen a diverse group of different personalities who serve the military in various different ways ... mostly as medical personnel, but there’s also an intelligence officer, a woman performing with the USO and more. Lauryn Middleton has a powerful presence onstage as the most traditionally disciplined and militaristic member of the ensemble. Mei Macey does an impressive job as both a U.S. servicewoman and a few different Vietnamese women. From optimism to the grim realities of the war ... there’s the hope that it ends at intermission as the women return. The inescapable gravity of civilian life in the shadows of war becomes positively hypnotic with some of the most powerful drama in the program after intermission. 

Marquette University Theatre’s production of A Piece of My Heart runs through Oct. 7 at the Helfaer Theatre, 525 N. 13th St. For ticket reservations and more, visit Marquette online.