In Cambridge, Too

JOSEPH HELLER FIRST achieved his literary notoriety with his novel Catch-22. And after Alan Arkin brought the protagonist Captain Youssarian to life in the film adaptation of the novel. Heller's powerful anti-war statement became widely known and appreciated. In his two act play. We Bombed in New Haven. Heller continues to hammer in his theme almost to the point of cliche. This time, however, the sentiment is not searing, but tepid, and the South House Drama Society's production adds little emotional energy.

The first scene opens in an Air Force wardroom which looks suspiciously like a grammar school classroom. The typical company--by now a familiar fixture in anti-war plays--consists of mute "idiots" and insubordinate and sharp-witted soldiers who clown around until, inevitably, one of them dies. As the characters have been seen before, the lines, too, have a certained hackneyed ring: "We're a peace-loving people and that's why we are going to bomb Constantinople off the map." "It's not our's to reason why. It's yours to do as you're told--and die," and of course, "Who's really in charge and who's really responsible?"

Under Andrew Olson's direction, the production seems less concerned with articulating Heller's statement than in parodying the triteness. References to Harvard and reality (not to imply that the two are mutually exclusive) do provide some comic relief, which after all, may be the only way to effectively stage the play in 1983. But after the first scene we find no follow through; the second scene drags, lacking action and pacing. Even though the second act has its moments, they are buried beneath a little too much shtick and vaudevillian slapstick. For the audience, it seems like the longest two hours even spent in a Harvard dining hall.

WHILE MOST OF THE performances are competent, few rise above the level of mediocrity imposed by lackluster dialogue and listless direction; the actors tend to react individually, rather than together as a dynamic company.

As the Major, Celia Jaffe stands out from the crowd with a strong and effective portrayal of the authoritarian. Establishment character. Her commanding, venomous glare is not enough, however, to elicit reaction from Captain Starkey (Jim Torres). His performance as the protagonist tends to fall flat; reciting his lines as quickly as cued. Torres' overeagerness suppresses any natural emotion. Since he fails to carry the cathartic climax, one leaves the dining hall unsatisfied rather than unsettled and meditative.

Among the other players, Catherine Colinvaux as an "idiot" successfully steals the show without uttering a line. Her wide-eyed vacant expressions and spastic contortions, reminiscent of Gilda Radner's depiction of a mentally disturbed child on the defunct "old" Saturday Night Live, graciously upstage the sorry plot unfolding around her.

Dale Curis (Henderson), Kevin Krolicki (Fisher), and David Pollack (Young Fisher) put in effective supporting performances. Special kudos for effort are due to Curtis, Krolicki and Tom Brady (Bailey) for getting crew cuts and looking very much, if not acting, like Marines.

In all, there isn't too much that could have been done to bolster the script. Unfortunately, this production fails to add any significant saving grace. Individual performances stand out or fall flat precisely because there is no sense of group tension or harmony; colorful patches against a gray background will always be noticed, but not necessarily admired.

"I'm not really a soldier," Curtis (Henderson) says. "I'm an actor playing the part of a soldier. Let's not forget that this is a play." Regrettably, we can't help but remember, and it isn't worth the trip to the Quad to be reminded.