UMD alumnus Christian Hoff (center) acts in a scene from Dogfight. Photo courtesy of Bruce F. Press Photography
A group of soldiers in the Vietnam War slowly creep forward, guns aimed into the impenetrable darkness. Standing in an oval formation with their weapons pointed in every direction, they warily look for any sign of enemy troops. The atmosphere is tense, but there’s no sound.
Then it happens.
Flashes of light. The resounding bang of gunshots. The shouts of soldiers.
One by one they fall, until a lone soldier remains alive. He creeps into a corner, holding himself as he looks on in horror at his fallen comrades. Then he wakes up, realizing it was just a flashback to the haunting events of his past and that he is safely on a Greyhound bus heading toward San Francisco.
That man is Eddie Birdlace, and the musical is Dogfight, a story about three U.S. Marines before, during and after their time of service in one of the most controversial wars in this nation’s history.
Following the experiences of Birdlace, a rough-and-tumble Marine who delights in his aggressiveness and profane vocabulary, and his two Marine buddies Boland and Bernstein, the show highlights the changing perceptions of Vietnam soldiers before and after the war.
Put on by Red Branch Theatre Company in Columbia, Maryland, the show opens with Christian Hoff, an alumnus from the University of Maryland who graduated last spring, starring as Birdlace as he returns home from his tour of duty in the war. He soon remembers Rose Fenny, a girl he became enamored with the day before he left for Vietnam, and he is transported four years back to 1963.
At that time, Birdlace and his fellow Marines decide to play a game called Dogfight, which has simple rules: every Marine puts $50 into a pot, and the person who can bring the ugliest girl to a party wins all the money.
Birdlace convinces Fenny (Courtney Branch), an introverted waitress, to come to the party with him. He soon becomes hesitant about the idea after growing fond of Fenny, but she insists on accompanying him to the event. She later discovers the true intentions of the party, unknowing of Birdlace’s budding emotions for her, and the duo’s relationship becomes strained before eventually transforming into loving.
Birdlace then departs for the faraway land, promising to correspond with Fenny, which he never does. He awakes from his flashback after reliving the death of his friends, and in 1967, he sets out in San Francisco to find Fenny in hopes of rekindling their relationship.
Led by stellar performances from Hoff and Branch, the two-hour production on Friday night was a turbulent experience that left audience members dying of laughter one second and verging on tears the next.
For his part, Hoff delivered an authentic display of what it must have been like to be a rising “jarhead” preparing to discover the realities of war. Brazen and self-important before deployment, his character had a naive perception of what it meant to be a U.S. Marine, including unbridled respect from passersby and sexual access to any girl he was interested in.
Hoff displays Birdlace’s dynamism with aplomb as he matures under the blossoming feelings he has for Fenny and struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by the gore and destruction he witnessed overseas.
Given his self-described “patient” and “easy-going” nature, Hoff didn’t find it easy at first to play a trigger-happy meathead.
“It’s definitely a challenge, especially in the first act; I’m playing a cocky, hotheaded Marine, and that’s kind of the opposite of me,” he said. “But Eddie thinks he knows everything and is aggressive and he’s rude, and that’s kind of the general mentality of these young guys — 20-year-olds who just got out of Marine basic training and think they can take on the world.”
But with near-perfect vocals that were just as impressive when belting a passionate love song as they were when whimpering over a song about the loss of his comrades, Hoff’s strongest moments came during musical numbers.
It makes sense, given that Hoff, who said theatre is “a new art form” for him, graduated from this university with a degree in vocal performance. Singing of all types, whether it be jazz, barbershop quartets or pop, is his strong suit, he said, and he plans to continue honing that skill in the U.S. Army Chorus.
It’s an interesting coincidence that didn’t go unnoticed by the former Terp.
“It’s cool that I’m playing a Marine and shaving my head and all that, and then I’m actually going to be in the Army,” he said. “It’s interesting timing.”
Playing opposite of Huff, Branch made her portrayal of Fenny incredibly nuanced, full of subtle expressions and slight intonations that established her character as a young woman wrought with anxiety yet strong to her core. Branch’s interpretation of Fenny — hilariously awkward before developing into a young woman with growing confidence — made it hard not to root for the well-intentioned character.
Other aspects of the production were dim in comparison to the bright flashes of talent from the leading roles but managed to keep the show entertaining. The set, a rotating platform in center stage with a walkway to its left, was minimalistic but served its purpose. All performers on stage dazzled with outstanding vocals, with pitch-perfect falsettos on “Some Kinda Time” and touching warmness on “Give Way,” but a good portion of acting felt forced or spotty at times.
The audience didn’t seem to notice, but instead was largely moved — and for good reason. The company will be honoring a veteran after every show, and in the front row on Friday night sat Vivian “Millie” Bailey, a veteran of World War II who served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps from 1943 to 1946.
She was called before the crowd at the end of the show and, with the aid of her daughter, rose from her seat and faced the audience with a look of pure happiness and contentment. It was a moving moment for all in attendance, and judging by the reactions of all in attendance, everyone left with a strengthened sense of respect for our armed veterans.
