Nov. 13, 1982.
On that day, thousands of veterans of the Vietnam War marched to the site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, just off the National Mall in Washington, D.C. There, the two black granite walls inscribed with the names of 58,000 dead and missing-in-action, were dedicated.
The simple, striking memorial launched an outpouring of grief about the loss of lives, limbs, friends, family during that conflict.
It is at that place, on that day, that Shirley Lauro begins her play, "A Piece of My Heart," which Beowulf Alley Theatre opens in previews today.
It is based on Keith Walker's 1986 oral history of 26 women who served in Vietnam.
Women who sewed up soldiers, provided intelligence, entertained the troops. Just as the men who served during that time, they were traumatized by the experience and snubbed when they returned.
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The true stories of the six women featured in "A Piece of My Heart" start at the memorial and go back to the time before, during and after they were in Vietnam.
And there will be tears.
"It's a very powerful play emotionally," said Whitney Morton, director of the production.
"Some of the things they go through are heartbreaking."
Morton was taken with the play when she first saw it at the University of Arizona in 2002. And its power persists today, she said.
"This stuff is still happening," she said. "It's kind of the same thing in Iraq. The play is still very relevant."
"A Piece of My Heart" carries the drama of war, but no political messages, said Morton.
"It's neither super liberal nor super conservative. It just puts the truth out there about what war's like."
Morton has a singular goal with this production:
"I want the audience to leave with an awareness of the gravity of what it's like to be involved in the military in any war," she said.
"War isn't just this thing that happens far away. These are real people we send away. I want there to be more compassion for veterans and respect for the things they go through."
If you go
"A Piece of My Heart"
• By: Shirley Lauro.
• Presented by: Beowulf Alley Theatre.
• Director: Whitney Morton.
• When: Previews 7:30 p.m. today; opens 7:30 p.m. Saturday; regular performances 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Sundays, through June 13.
• Where: Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. Sixth Ave.
• Tickets: Preview, $10; regular performances, $20 ($18 if purchased online).
• Reservations/information: www.beowulfalley.org or 882-0555.
• Cast: Janet Bruce, Samantha Cormier, Catherine Killough, T Loving, Steve McKee, Jennifer Roberts and Maria Rallings.
• Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.
• Recommended: For ages 13 and older.
Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.
