May 6, 2011 - May 29, 2011
by Steven Dietz
directed by Scott Yarbrough
World Trade Center - 121 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR 97204
Ben and Jeeter fought together in Vietnam, but thirty years later the fight continues. In a trailer park on a Superfund site, the buddies are joined by Jeeter’s new girlfriend and her caustic, whiskey-fueled mother for one last hurrah. Fierce, funny, and haunting, this highly theatrical and increasingly relevant play explores the legacy of war and its human cost. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, Last of the Boys is mysterious and original, mind-bending and time-blending.
Reviews
Sure enough, the play, which was first produced at the McCarter Theatre of Princeton, N.J., in 2004, fits perfectly with the aesthetic Third Rail has shaped over the past six years. That is, it is by turns funny and heart-wrenching; it blends naturalism with a heightened theatricality that enhances the metaphorical reach and emotional impact of the story; and it feels intimate and personal even as it grapples with big societal and even philosophical issues.
The Oregonian
Valerie Stevens is tremendous, imbuing her hard-bitten character a weariness and self-acceptance that make her riveting performance one of the high points of the show.
Portland Mercury