Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Marc Wolf is one of the most fascinating and entertaining performers working on stage today. In his one-person docu-drama "Another American: Asking and Telling" the chameleonic performer shows off not only his comedic timing but his depth as an artist. "Another America" could have easily been a trap. It's a topic play, more specifically it's a narrow topic play about the military policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" established under President Clinton.

Seeking to end the systematic persecution and discharge of soldiers accused of being gay, Clinton's team established "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DODT) as a blind man's compromise: if you don't say anything about your identity, I will not ask anything. Since the infamous 1993 compromise, DODT has accomplished the rare feat of outraging the military and the LGBT community.  The military's investigation and dishonorable discharge of gay soldiers has increased since then and LGBT community as the policy is essentially coercing gay soldiers to stay silent and hidden.  It's a hot-button issue but one that most of the population doesn't have direct experience with in any real way. Thanks to Wolf, audience members will walk out not only with more information and stories, but with the visceral feeling of what it's like to be silenced, to tortured and to lose ones life just for wanting to be a gay soldier serving America. 

"Another American" comes from a series of interviews Wolf conducted throughout the 1990s with gay men and women, most of whom remain anonymous in the piece. There's no way to describe the rich and captivating stories without writing out the script, but Wolf takes on not just the words but the nature of his subjects. Wolf sulks and lounges sideways while talking out of his mouth to embody a distrustful female soldier, hardened by years of forced silence. He sticks his chin out and talks in an nasal register to characterize a Midwestern Jewish lesbian who has fought to be reinstated for years. And some times, Wolf could just stand on stage remaining perfectly still to give chilling account of a young male soldier being raped by an HIV-positive attacker while his own soldiers listen in and do nothing. 

The characters slip in out of Wolf's postures, facial tics, and gestures but the sum is greater than its parts. An entire world is being created through careful editing and sharp transitions. Credit is also owed to the original director, Joe Mantello and the sound and light designer for telling us about more than DODT. This is a story about the freedom to speak out, the perpetual threat of witch hunts in a majority-ruled democracy, and the looming problems we have as a nation in standing up to the military. DODT belies an increasingly sheepish government and docile people in the face of a military that has gotten bigger, less regulated, and more sectioned off from the intentions of the US Constitution. DODT may be a hot topic, but it's a warning sign of more policies in the future. When President Truman desegregated the US Armed Forces there were many who tried to stop him, claiming it would ruin morale and destroy the military. But President Truman didn't listen because he knew that all citizens were entitled serve America.

"Another America" leaves the audience to question what we should do now as a nation. Whatever it is, silence is no longer an option and neither is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."