June 26, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Quiara Alegría Hudes’ “Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue” at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

By Beverly Cohn

Quiara Alegría Hudes’ brilliantly written “Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue,” springs from her two worlds – that of a music degree from Yale University and a Master’s Degree in playwriting from Brown University. This union of disciplines coalesced in an absolutely riveting play that uses Bach and other great composers as a metaphor for war. Coupled with a highly stylized presentation, her writing skills are evident from the opening salvo.

Under the impeccable, intensely vivid, sharp direction by Shishir Kurup, this searing drama, sprinkled throughout with comic relief, grabs your attention from the moment you go into the theatre until the very last line of dialogue is spoken. As you enter, John Nobori’s lively sound design is playing and upstage there is a woman planting a garden. One by one the three other members of the cast quietly drift on stage carrying props and set pieces, which consist of two cots on which are placed a rifle and duffel bag, then lights dim, and the play begins.

We first meet the charming 19-year-old Elliot, played by the very talented Peter Mendoza. He is a third-generation Marine, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, skillfully played by Rubén Garfias and his father, played by the talented Jason Manuel Olazábal. Wearing a Purple Heart for sustaining a painful leg wound in Iraq, this cheerful young man talks directly to the audience sharing combat details. Elliot has some choices to make. After much agony, his leg is healing nicely which would allow him to reenlist or alternatively take a low level job at a fast-food restaurant. His character is the thru-line of action and the right actor was cast for that role.

Under Kurup’s sensitive direction, these actors give perfect performances that could be described as individual tour-de-forces as they take turns telling their poignant stories. Each member of this Puerto Rican family from Philadelphia fought in a different war – the grandfather, Korea, the father, Vietnam, and the son, just back from Iraq. These three Marines sustained serious injuries. The non-linear unfolding of their individual account is uniquely staged as they begin by breaking the fourth wall and talking about a past moment or a present moment at which point they transition from talking to the audience to continuing the dialogue within the scene – unique and fascinating stagecraft. You might be wondering how the playwright incorporated music. Beginning with the grandfather, the flute becomes almost another character as that instrument has been passed down from generation to generation and is used as a device for trying to make some sense out of the horror of war. We first see it played by grandpop. He comes in from the harsh cold Korean winter, his hands so frozen he cannot feel them. Despite that, he takes out the flute and plays Bach fugues, making a poetic connection between his bleak current location to back home in Philly. It’s a reverie that gives him comfort.

The fourth member of this excellent ensemble is Caro Zeller who plays Ginny, Elliot’s mom who was a nurse during the Vietnam War and was where she met and eventually married Elliot’s father. Like his son, he sustained an agonizingly painful leg injury and there is a tender hospital scene where Nurse Ginny tries to gently massage the leg, which segues into a romantic, sweet moment. Back home, she is the glue that keeps the family together and spends time planting and caring for her garden, which is her symbolic way of keeping hope alive for the future. She also serves the family traditional food to which Elliot makes references while in battle. It is fascinating to see how the characters are interwoven and how seamlessly they intersect with each other, with the play’s dénouement ending in a powerful visual.

The balance of the technical team served this production well beginning with the Scenic Design by Sibyl Wickersheimer, Costume Design by Raquel Barreto, with special kudos to Geoff Korf’s fascinating Lighting Design who lit the actors in a most fascinating, creative way.

“Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue” does not preach. It does not take a pro or con position on the dubious legacy of war but presents the story of a family of veterans and their individual war experiences. It’s up to you to decide whether the cost of this legacy is worth the human sacrifice. Whatever your beliefs are, however, this play is non-political but rather a lyrical piece of writing married with a unique theatrical presentation. The results are a most uncommon evening of theatre and the reason why it was selected as the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama. The first in a trilogy of plays, the second play is Hudes’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “Water by the Spoonful,” currently on stage at the Mark Taper Forum. Look for my review next week.

L-R: Rubén Garfias (background) and Jason Manuel Olazábal.
L-R: Peter Mendoza, RubŽn Garfias and Jason Manuel Olaz‡bal.
Caro Zeller and Jason Manuel Olazábal.
Peter Mendoza.
L-R: Rubén Garfias, Peter Mendoza and Jason Manuel Olazábal.
L-R: Caro Zeller, Rubén Garfias, Jason Manuel Olazábal and (above) Peter Mendoza.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue”

Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre

9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232

Run: Tuesday – Friday: 8 p.m.

Saturday: 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Closing: Sunday, February 25, 2018.

Tickets: $25 – $70

213.628.2772 or online.

CenterTheatreGroup.org

Center Theatre Group Box Office

Kirk Douglas Theatre Box Office (two hours prior to performances).

(Free three hour parking at City Hall. Validations available in theatre lobby.)

Groups: 213.972.7231

Deaf community: Information and Charge. Visit: CenterTheatreGroup.org/access.

Related Posts

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Culver City Leaders Address Youth Safety Crisis After Teen’s Death, Gunfire at Vigil

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Leaders Respond Following Tragedy and Shooting at School Vigil Culver City officials convened a press conference Wednesday morning to confront...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Culver City Pride Rolls In with Sunset Ride and Rally June 28

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Celebrate With a 6-Mile Pride Ride and Free Block Party Culver City will mark its fifth annual Pride celebration on...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...

Overnight Traffic Stops in Culver City Lead to Felony Arrests, DUI Bust

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Culver City Police Nab Suspects Wanted for Burglary and Identity Theft Culver City police officers arrested three individuals in separate...

LAPD Sergeant Killed Assisting Crash Victims on 405 Freeway in Brentwood

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Tragic Early-Morning Collision Claims Two Lives, Including Veteran Sergeant Two people, including an LAPD sergeant, were killed early Monday in...

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...