Drew Benjamin Jones

The history is clear, and documented in numerous letters and accounts: On the battlefields of France, soldiers defied orders against fraternizing with the enemy, and spontaneously decided to create their own Christmas ceasefire. In some places it lasted for days, and even led to some refusals to shoot when fighting resumed. Truce cleverly stages the onset of the ceasefire, after providing both broad and specific contexts for appreciating the event and its significance. We're reminded of the origins of the conflict through narration and visuals, but also given two individual stories to focus on—that of an English would-be writer named Tommy (Drew Benjamin Jones) and his wife Maggie (Allison Meneley); and a German high-born scholar, Georg (Max Tachis), and the nurse he befriends, Anna (Caitlin Papp). Their separate trajectories into war are destined to collide. A small ensemble plays multiple roles of parents, townspeople, generals, wives and girlfriends.

Interspersed throughout with song, including carols, the play delivers a powerful and unequivocal anti-war message, countering the conflict with appeals to love, harmony, and tolerance: "Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men." Earnest and heartfelt, the play moves inexorably to its conclusion: some characters live, some must die, and our own hearts are opened to the plea for hope and love. It's a pleasant, moving, and uplifting 90-minute show, ushering in the holidays with a laudable focus on the true meaning of the season.

Lead players, especially Tachis and Jones, are excellent, as is the ensemble. Standouts include Jeremy Ryan, Nik Duggan, Karen DeHart, and Ivette Deltoro, but really they're all good at bringing life to smaller roles. Their vocal blend, under direction of George Psarras, does more than justice to the songs; and Meneley's sweet soprano is a special treat.

Scenic designer Ron Gasparinetti's set of palettes conjures the rough-hewn makeshift huts of trench warfare, cleverly maximizing downstage space and providing several levels for defining interiors. Built-in screens project vintage visuals, eerily combining artifact with theatrical arena, aiding our imaginations. The stage floor looks as if there were a recent dusting of snow in a freezing landscape. Lighting by Nick Kumamoto beautifully transitions day to night, isolating various areas and highlighting action. The depiction of rain is realistic and evocative.

Much was made of costume accuracy, and designer Jane Lambert mostly succeeds with the demand for lots of different types of uniforms. Sound design by George Psarras mingles popular tunes of the day with well-known Christmas carols; the only curious choice is the oom-pah-pah accompaniment for the otherwise lilting Silent Night.

The production overall is enjoyable and effective, but Wilder and Bracco might revisit the text before its next iteration. Some of the early scenes are melodramatic and ask for sympathy we haven't yet mustered for characters we don't know. The description of the war's onset and the imagined encounters between soldiers of both sides are quite well done, as are the scenes between Tommy and Maggie, Georg and Anna. There's some repetition that could be eliminated, and the play has difficulty finding its conclusion. Mostly, the rationale for going to war as presented by Georg is far too simplistic, and its "cure," repeated exhortations of Love, begins to feel saccharine. In this case, less might be more, and the excellent portrayal of soldiers eschewing arms for soccer might be more than enough.

Still, don't miss your chance to see this historic event at City Lights, and begin your embrace of the season with a full heart.

Truce: A Christmas Wish from the Great War by Kit Wilder and Jeffrey Bracco, presented by City Lights Theater Company, 529 S. Second Street, San Jose; through December 21, 2014. Tickets $17 - $32; available at www.cltc.org or at 408-295-4200.

Photo: Mike Ko

- Jeanie K. Smith