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VIETNAM 101: THE WAR ON CAMPUS

“The play alternately strikes bitter truths of life and death with comic realities of day-to-day existence. It appeals on a broader level than its subject, moving out of the war genre to show the confusion, hesitancy, uncertainty and growing awareness which are facets of every young person's developmental process."

Out and About (Asheville, N.C.)

"Historically accurate theater, engaging on a human level and effective as a political and social statement. Rich Orloff wove this wide range of personal stories into a work of art."

Oberlin magazine

“VIETNAM 101: THE WAR ON CAMPUS employs recollections from Oberlin College students from 1964 to 1972 to examine – with sensitivity, honesty, humility and wit – student protest’s glory years. The young radicals’ trial-and-error demonstrations build from hilarious debates about the political implications of allowing a surrounded Navy recruiter a bathroom break to the horror of violent confrontation, culminating in the May 4, 1970 shooting deaths of four demonstrators at nearby Kent State. VIETNAM 101: THE WAR ON CAMPUS is a refresher about a time when “overachieving neurotics” at small-town private colleges believed they could change the world. It’s not an ancient history class for younger audiences, but rather an entertaining primer in neglected subjects like civics and ethics.”

Philadelphia City Paper

“VIETNAM 101: THE WAR ON CAMPUS portrays the students not merely as impassioned ideologists, but also as young men and women coming into their adult years amidst a confusion of pressures: political, peer-based, parental and pedagogical. And while there is no question as to which side of the activism argument the play stands, it frequently reminds the audience that there were other opinions and voices at the time, with concerns and fears and arguments that were equally as valid as those belonging to the people who demonstrated against the Vietnam War. VIETNAM 101: THE WAR ON CAMPUS tackles some very serious historical events. However its anecdotal nature allows it to be amusing as frequently as it is moving, and imbues the action with a sense of immediacy despite the fact the events themselves took place decades ago. Watching, I couldn’t help but wonder - would I have had the drive or fortitude to have done what they did then? And, if my answer is yes, then why aren’t I doing anything now? VIETNAM 101: THE WAR ON CAMPUS makes you think.”

The Phillyist