Following Confetti Stage’s previous production of “The Greatest Story Ever Told” comes the incredible performance “A Piece of My Heart,” a true an example of a story that needs to be told. Based on the book by the same name, the play represents true accounts of Red Cross nurses, Army nurses, USO volunteers and intelligence officers during the Vietnam war.
The cast of eight, six women and two men, shift between roles effortlessly leaving no emotions under expressed. They transform a seemingly empty theatre space into the hospital wards of Vietnam, Army offices, barracks and airplanes with only a few wooden chairs, duffle bags and incredible lighting and audio. Still, at the base of it all, underneath the fantastic acting and incredible staging is the touching story of these brave women – how they ended up in the war, their experiences there and how their lives changed forever afterwards.
From the very beginning you connect with the characters, each from a different background with a variety of aspirations and expectations for the future. And just as the actual lives of these women played out the show has highs and lows: filing the room with laughter one minute – and without missing a beat shifting the audience to sadness. By the end of the night, you know them and their story. You feel for them.
With only a few performances left in the run, even if it takes a little schedule rearranging, find a way to go see this unique play. Remaining shows are Friday, April 4 & Saturday, April 5, 2014 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 2:00 PM. Tickets are just $15 ($2 discount with ID for veterans and those who serve veterans) and $1 of each ticket is donated to STRIDE/Wounded Warrior Project. Find more information about “A Piece of My Heart” and other entertainment options at downtownalbany.org.
Of course the show pairs perfectly with a night in Downtown and perhaps a Restaurant Week meal – check out the 10 day celebration schedule at bit.ly/DARWtodo
See you Downtown.
JD
*Photo Credit: Sean Schowalter
