Theater Review by Walter Murphy . . .
In The Day I Accidentally Went to War, comic Bill Posley recounts how he served 15 months in Iraq as part of his National Guard duty. His childhood backstory, which he begins with, is extremely entertaining; but then the reality of going to war and being in a war zone shifts the tone dramatically.
His skill as a storyteller allows him to explain the fine line between doing his service and being conflicted about what he was asked to do. Given that his background and performance skills make him an immensely likable person, we could feel his misgivings and not judge what he was doing in Iraq: just doing his job, which at times was a pretty shitty job. It’s war.
Although he’s a comic by trade, as a writer Posley has extracted painful experiences in his life, and crafted a compelling story about overcoming challenges. Truthfully accepting the pain of growing up in a family with a crack-smoking, drill sergeant-like father and a gambling addict mother (who literally bet the house and lost it), he looked for an escape from his fractured beginnings. Joining the military was his way out, and there he thrived . . . initially. He replaced one set of challenges, his family, for others, like his service and mental health.
Throughout his superb performance, Posley was brutally honest about who he was, consistently revealing embarrassing details. For example, as an overweight child, he could not see his genitals; what’s more, he displayed an official school form he was given that noted he had no genitals!
He used the absurdity of 90s pop culture to great effect. He thought of himself as the Howie of the Backstreet Boys; became enraged when the Fresh Prince’s mother was replaced with a lighter-skinned actor; offered that the movie Grease 2 was superior to the original because the Pink Ladies had “agency”; and asserted that “The Bachelorette” was far better than “The Bachelor.”
In telling his backstory, and displaying supporting documentation (excellent multimedia presentations) like his grades, showing a C in Physical Education and rockin’ a 2.3 GPA, he built trust with the audience that he was telling the truth about himself. And as he spoke of his military career, he spoke his truth and we believed him. And here he struggled.
Getting through basic training was his coming-of-age (18) into a new, supportive community. He learned important life lessons like a two-second limit on looking at another man’s penis and that drill instructors were clever putdown artists: “If you worked at an M&M factory, you’d get fired for throwing away the Ws!”
After the catastrophic events of 9/11, he went to war. When speaking about his service in Iraq, he exhibited the frustration of reconciling what he was doing there with the love and camaraderie he had for his fellow soldiers, his mates. He also questioned the government’s assertion that the Iraqi people were terrorists. Some were, he realized, but most were ordinary people.
He survived his time in Iraq but with a new set of challenges.
We have heard quite a lot about soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but to watch someone try to explain how they came to suffer from it is emotionally gripping and frustrating. Posley builds so much bonhomie throughout his performance that we share his sense of helplessness. He displays the government’s dismissal of his claim for PTSD assistance and we are forced to wonder: is that how we now treat veterans?
Throughout the performance, Posley is optimistic and entertaining. He starts by breaking down the perception of veterans, assuring us there is no single stereotype. In closing, he asks for better support for veterans because there is no single solution to address veterans’ mental health needs. But clearly, more help is needed.
The Day I Accidentally Went to War. Through January 26 at SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam Street, between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street) as part of the Fringe Encore Series.
Photos: Lore Photography
