Bryan Keith and Tyler Vickers

It would be hard to think of a young theater company in town more deserving of praise and honor, made up of actual artists who have a serious knowledge and intent, who have made for themselves a lovely new venue where cobwebs and clutter had been before. They pick very good plays, and very good actors, and seem to get very good audiences as a result.

But is it ever possible for a play to be less than the sum of its parts? Every major player listed here has done amazing things in the past but, apparently, none of them were wearing their lucky charms for this production.

Most of the problem with Medal of Honor Rag seems to be that the psychiatrist (Tyler Vickers) is simply too kind and supportive of the tormented Vietnam war veteran, played by Bryan Keith. This "enlightened" approach robs the play of crucial tension, which can scarcely be taken up by Keith Borzillo, who appears only briefly as a somewhat fearsome military guard at the Veterans Administration hospital where the scene is set. As directed by David Wassilak, Mr. Keith's eventual recovery seems assured, at least until Mr. Borzillo pops in again. So there's no real need for us to worry about the vet, as this latest psychiatrist runs him through his paces. As a result, this is a drama with no real tension. Mr. Vickers (as the new doctor) has always been outstanding in the past, and director Wassilak has shown tremendous insight in his shows. But Mr. Keith, as the psychologically scarred vet, has no enigmatic authority figure to push against here. And the show flails about, when it should be smoldering.

There are well-staged moments of humor, and the occasional artful "snap" where characters fall into excellent stage pictures, as if by accident. And Mr. Keith is very interesting to watch, with a wry sense of resignation. But the greatest performance of the evening (by far) is turned in by the late Lyndon Baines Johnson, in an audio tape recording from the 1960s. Everything stops for a minute or two as we listen to the larger-than-life Texas Democrat's shaky voice, before he hands out a stack of medals in a solemn ceremony. Johnson, who reached amazing political heights introducing the "Great Society," ended his service in shame, presiding over a nation torn by antiwar protests. In his tape-recorded speech he becomes an mighty Ozymandias, crumbling before us. It sets a mighty high bar for the two young men on stage.

The opening ten minutes of Tom Cole's script play well, with Pinteresque dialog, but later there's something hollow about the way Mr. Keith and Mr. Vickers reveal their characters' darkest secrets. Mr. Keith is given a fantastic verbal image about sweeping the charred remains of his compatriots down the street in an imaginary victory parade. But, otherwise, it's a stunningly bland inventory of personal tragedies—on both sides. There's a good, provocative twist involving medals and guilt, but, in this case, it's just one lonely flag planted on a very lowly hill.

Through February 15, 2009 at the Gaslight Theater, 360 North Boyle. For more information, call (314) 458-2978, or visit them online at www.stlas.org.

Cast
Doctor: Tyler Vickers
Dale Jackson: Bryan Keith*
Military Guard: Keith Borzillo

Crew
Director: David Wassilak
Stage Manager: Lisa Beke
Assistant Stage Manager: Jess Peter
Set and Lighting Designer: Patrick Huber
Scenic Artist: Margaret Engel
Sound Designer: David Wassilak
Costume Designer: Lisa Beke
Technical Director: Margaret Engel
Master Electrician: Seth Pyatt
Set Construction: Doug Schroeder
Light Board Operator: Seth Pyatt
Sound Board Operator: Kyle Kratky
Properties Master: Jim Stewart
Box Office Manager: Jim Stewart
House Manager: Kimberly Sansone

* Denotes member, Actors' Equity

Photo: John Lamb

-- Richard T. Green