By Juan Markos
Pasadena, California (The Hollywood Times) 06/24/2024
I recently attended the second performance of “If All The Sky Were Paper,” a play written by Andrew Carroll, directed by Jude Lucas, and produced by Nico García-Corona. The play is being presented by Arroyo Repertory at the Porticos Art Space, 2033 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA. The show opened on Friday, June 21st and will run until July 7th.
The play is a touching story about Andrew Carroll’s journey to find the most extraordinary war letters. It features a main character who tells the story of the search and the background behind it. Andrew Carroll, who compiled the letters into a book, narrates the story of his mission to find the letters, describing the backstories of the people who sent in the letters, as well as the timeframes. Some letters were found and shared by the people who found them, while others were sent between family members. Some were never mailed at all, and some depicted the war in a way that the writers felt couldn’t or shouldn’t be made public.
The letters were read by different actors, some of whom wore costumes from different eras, including World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Desert Storm, and even some from the American Revolution. Many of the letters, including emails, were from women who served in recent years as well as nurses from the old days. The collection of letters provides a firsthand look at the different wars and experiences.
The play brings a new perspective on war, portraying the real and raw emotions through these letters. Some of the letters are very touching, while others are dark and disturbing. For example, one letter described the perspective of a draftee who was drafted from the Peace Corps, expressing the shock and fear of realizing that people wanted to kill him.
There are also darker stories about World War II, including discussions of human testing and torture done to Jews in Poland and Germany, which is quite sickening. The narrator explains that the letter’s author was killed later that day. The play also delves into the terrifying events of Nazi Germany, and the shocking fact that there are still survivors and perpetrators among us.
The play features a talented cast, including Oraldo Austin, Lily Baer, Katsy Chappell, Brian Lai, Darwin Luján, Lori McKenna, Elijah Reyes, Doug Rynerson, Clayton Searcy, Kat Ventress, and Mark Youngs.
I highly recommend this play to anyone interested in history and seeking insight. ONLINE TICKETING:
