Photo Credit: Paul Ruffolo
There are indeed a lot of “strange” things going on in Stephen Metcalfe’s Off-Broadway play, Strange Snow, which is produced by Milwaukee Chamber Theatre inside the Broadway Theatre Center. Metcalfe’s play takes us inside the lingering aftermath of the Vietnam War, played out on a cozy, home-like set where one of the vets, Davey (Marques Causey), lives with his sister, Martha (Krystal Drake).
The play starts off briskly. Megs (Ken T. Williams), one of Davey’s Vietnam buddies, starts pounding on their door at 5 a.m. Waders and coolers of beer at the ready, Megs is ready to catch some trout on the opening day of fishing season. Martha, a schoolmarm who is scared out of her wits by the commotion, is eventually brave enough to let Megs into the house. The next two hours are filled with plenty of laughs and a few tense moments as Davey and Megs confront their experiences about what happened between them in Vietnam.
What seems most unlikely (i.e., “strange”) in this play is the constant paradox of bravery and cowardice displayed by each of the characters. Megs, who constantly thinks about the war, grasps at any opportunity for joy. Yet, this loveable loser silently bears physical scars of a man who is trapped by his wartime experiences. Davey, on the other hand, spends his days either behind the wheel of his truck or drinking himself into oblivion. He resists thinking about Vietnam at all costs. A former high school champion athlete, Davey finally confronts his fear during one fateful day in Vietnam. His inaction led to a series of unfortunate incidents that continue to haunt him.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Davey is such an unreachable character that Marques Causey, under C. Michael Wright’s solid direction, must work hard to muster any sympathy for him. For instance, Davey isn’t a tad upset that he forgot his agreement to meet Megs on the opening day of fishing season. In fact, he seems agitated at the mere sight of Megs in his home.
Meanwhile, Martha must juggle these men—who are opposites of each other—during the fishing trip as well as for supper afterwards. She blossoms under Megs’ constant compliments, and she decides he’ll be the one to lead her out of her loveless life and back into the dating world. Davey cautions her against getting too close to Megs, lest he become a pest. But, by the end of the play, she has decided to test the waters with Megs, no matter what her brother says. She is clearly ready to move forward, a direction that her brother must find for himself if he’s going to go on living. In this beautifully balanced production, which tempers a great deal of humor with moments of wartime terror, we can only hope that these two can vanquish their demons and emerge again as whole human beings.
Through March 17 at the Studio Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center. For tickets, call 414-291-7800 or visit milwaukeechambertheatre.com.
