The horrors of Vietnam are quickly fading into history. Young people today have no vivid memories of lost loved ones, and it is difficult to imagine America at a time of such crisis. But the war came to chilling life on the stage at St. Ursula Academy's recent production of A Piece of My Heart by Shirley Lauro.

The play chronicled the experiences of six women who each went into the war zone for different reasons and came out with memories that haunted them long after coming home.

The performers created characters that pulled the audience into their lives. Sissy (Rebecca Whatley) is a sweet girl, innocent of the horrors she will face when she steps off the plane and signs up for field hospital duty. With a simple, traumatized glance, Whatley revealed the agony Sissy felt as she nursed mutilated soldiers. Whatley's performance contained the power and raw emotion of a woman who discovers what war is really like.

Whitney (Allison Aiken) is a highly educated boarding-school teacher who goes into Vietnam to work for the Red Cross and to find a little adventure. Aiken's portrayal of the sarcastic, bitter Whitney was brilliantly executed. With a simple toss of the head or sip of liquor, there was no doubt of the true feelings of the character.

The show was comprised of monologues that flowed into dialogue with other characters and into the action during the war. The set was simple and was used to illustrate the simple power of the stories being told by the characters. All props (assembled by Claudia Feldhaus) and costumes (designed by Maria Reupert) were accurate to the time period.

As the lights faded, the ensemble stared up at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, a powerful testament to the courage and strength of the women who gave everything for their country.

-Matt Borths, St. Xavier High School

EXCERPTS

Although they used little scenery, the suspension of disbelief created by the actor and actresses was nearly total. The actresses playing the six main characters were amazing. They truly became their characters. Their portrayal of their characters was not at all static; it aptly displayed their acute emotional distress. To fully understand the depth of characterization the actresses displayed, one had to only look at their eyes and see their sorrow.

- Chase Sackett, Mariemont High School

Every man in the story was played by Kevin Breslin. Breslin didn't let one character blend into another; he put forth a great effort and succeeded with a wonderful performance.

- David Strife, Cincinnati Christian School

Erin Carr played the role of Lee Ann, a woman who joined the war to escape discrimination. Erin played her character with the passion and conviction needed to captivate the attention of the audience.

- Colleen Baker, Loveland High School

Because of the strong projection of the actresses, an elaborate microphone system was not needed; however at times the music was too loud and covered up some of the dialogue. The props were defined by the Vietnam Memorial wall. The wall was stunning in appearance and added to the overall effect of the show.

-- Jeff Berger, Lakota West High School

Especially notable was Rebecca Whatley's performance as Sissy, a nurse from Pennsylvania who just wanted to get away from her dreary little town. Rebecca's facial expression and wonderfully dynamic tone of voice added to the essence of her character.

-- Liz Rettig, Mount Notre Dame High School For more information, see www.cappies.com