"I know what I have done for my country, and I am not afraid to take a stand.” -Patrick Murphy, Iraq War veteran

Long Wharf Theatre, in conjunction with Temple Theaters, will present the provocative new work In Conflict, adapted by Douglas C. Wager from the book by Yvonne Latty. The show will be staged on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 8 pm on Stage II. Tickets are $10.

In Conflict will feature - just as in Latty's book entitled In Conflict: Iraq War Veterans Speak Out On Duty, Loss and the Fight To Stay Alive - actual first-hand accounts from Iraq War veterans, word-for-word, performed by a talented troupe of actors currently studying at Temple University.

The Temple student actors have worked closely with the audiotape conversations recorded during Latty's interview process. In many instances the students spoke to the real life veterans immortalized in Latty's recordings.

The production was originally staged at Temple University in September 2007 to critical acclaim, and was extended by popular demand.

"The biggest surprise so far of the season was Temple Theater's world premiere In Conflict," wrote J. Cooper Robb in the Philadelphia Weekly's recap of the 2007 city theatre scene. "The production featured a host of remarkable performances from a student cast portraying servicemen and women stationed in Iraq. A dramatic and disquieting work, In Conflict prompted a renewed respect for the young Americans who sacrifice their limbs, lives and sanity daily in an increasingly regrettable conflict."

"The Iraq War is still with us," Wager wrote in his director's note. "Troops continue to be deployed and redeployed. When they come back, they deserve not only a debt of gratitude, but they deserve the chance to be heard, listened to and understood."

"Their tales of war and its impact on them are breathtaking," wrote former U.S. Sen. Max Clelland in his introduction to the play. "They rivet us in our seats, and they hit us in the gut.

"We are there with them - for a moment. For the first time, we feel what they feel - the forward fear, the terror, the confusion, the doubt, the anger, and the frustration of being caught up in something much bigger than them. We realize that ultimately they are just fighting to survive."

Having previously worked with Anna Deavere Smith, who is premiering her new solo play Let Me Down Easy at Long Wharf Theatre, Wager was convinced that Latty's book could be adapted for the stage using Smith's signature style.

Smith crafts a topical, visceral brand of theatre, using interviews and a precise rendering of the subject's physicality to explore larger themes. Wager put his students through the same paces.

"Beyond the thrill of creating an original theatre piece, this project has awakened my understanding of what it means to be an American," Wager wrote.

The show features Temple University student performers Sam Paul, Suyeon Kim, Sean Lally, Tom Rader, Stan Sinyakov, Tim Chambers, Danielle Pinnock, Ethan Haymes, Damon Williams, Amanda Holston and Joy Notoma.

The original production of In Conflict features set designs by Andrew Laine; costumes by Marian Cooper; lighting by Dom Chacon; sound by Chris Cappello with Paul Winnick serving as music advisor; and video design and production by Warren Bass, assisted by Gary Yong. The stage manager is Dana Hurley.

CREATIVE TEAM BIOS

Yvonne Latty Author
Ms. Latty holds a Master's degree in Journalism from New York University and spent 13 years with the Philadelphia Daily News, earning national awards and recognition for her commitment to the stories of the people of the inner city. Her first book, We Were There, gave voice to the African American veterans of various wars throughout the 20th century. Building off the remarkable success of that outing, Latty spoke with 25 Iraq War veterans and compiled those conversations into the book In Conflict, for which she has received much national attention and acclaim. Latty is at work on her next book, and currently served as a Clinical Professor of Journalism at New York University.

Douglas C. Wager Adaptor/Director
Mr. Wager currently serves as Temple's resident Artistic Director after having spent over 20 years of his professional career in residence at Washington D.C.'s famed Arena Stage, consider one of the leading regional theatres in America. With countless regional as well as Broadway and Off-Broadway credits to his name, Mr. Wager has earned his reputation as a consummate professional through his diverse work on a range of productions, including large-scale musicals, reinterpretations of classic works and premieres of new plays. He is a fourteen-time nominee and three-time recipient of Washington D.C.'s prestigious Helen Hayes Award for direction and recently received his first Barrymore directing nomination for his work in the Philadelphia theatre community.

ABOUT THE THEATRE
LONG WHARF THEATRE (Gordon Edelstein, Artistic Director, Joan Channick, Managing Director), now celebrating its 43rd season, is recognized as a leader in American theatre, producing fresh and imaginative revivals of classics and modern plays, rediscoveries of neglected works and a variety of world and American premieres. More than 30 Long Wharf productions have transferred virtually intact to Broadway or Off-Broadway, some of which include last season's Durango by Julia Cho, the Pulitzer Prize-winning plays Wit by Margaret Edson, The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer and The Gin Game by D.L. Coburn. Long Wharf Theatre has received New York Drama Critics Awards, Obie Awards, the Margo Jefferson Award for Production of New Works, a Special Citation from the Outer Critics Circle and the Tony(r) Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. www.LongWharf.org