In the One Act Play, "Denude", Legacy and War Lay Bare the Struggle for Redemption

I came across a 2022 film, "Foxhole", it was pretty intriguing and entertaining. Where Over 36 hours in three different wars, a small group of soldiers grapples with mortality, futility, and an increasingly volatile combat situation. It reminded me of my play on a similar concept.

Perhaps I should have named my play that. But, perhaps not. Allow me to explain. Back in 1983 while at Western Washington University, I wrote a play about two soldiers in a foxhole (with supernatural overtones). It takes place between three very different wars: Vietnam, WWII, and the War of 1812, in that order.

Two soldiers, Trappist and Menses, are stuck in a foxhole during a war. Trappist tries to engage Menses in conversation, offering him some rations of fruitcake and peaches, but Menses is agitated and angry about having been sent there. The tension between them rises as they face the threat of enemy fire. Trappist tries to calm Menses, but the situation intensifies until Menses, in a fit of panic, ends up shooting and killing Trappist.

After Trappist's death, a surreal sequence occurs where Trappist appears as a ghost, revealing to Menses that they've been intertwined through multiple lives, with Menses repeatedly being the cause of Trappist's death in various previous wars. Trappist implies a cycle of reincarnation and their eternal connection.

Eventually, as Menses faces the brink of death himself, Trappist guides him into an ethereal realm, indicating they're both on the verge of departing. The play ends with Menses acknowledging his own death and Trappist urging him to follow into the afterlife, hinting at a reason to celebrate despite their demise.

How does that tie in with one's consideration of themself and their ancestors who served in those previous wars?

A person's understanding of their self-identity, as well as their view of their family lineage, can be deeply influenced by the legacy of ancestors who served in past wars like the War of 1812, WWII, and the Vietnam War. This connection to the past often impacts how they view duty, patriotism, resilience, and their place within their nation's history.

Here’s how these aspects might shape someone's perception of themselves in the context of these wars:

1. Sense of Duty and Patriotism

• If someone has ancestors who served in one or more of these wars, they may feel a heightened sense of duty or responsibility to carry on a family legacy of service and sacrifice. This can manifest as a strong patriotic sentiment, where they view their own life in the context of defending and upholding the values for which their ancestors fought.
• Knowing that a family member faced hardship and danger to protect sovereignty and national interests can deepen a person’s respect for their country and motivate them to contribute in their own way, whether through military service, civic engagement, or simply by embodying values like courage and dedication.

2. Personal Identity and Self-Worth

• The knowledge of an ancestor’s bravery, resilience, or sacrifices in wartime can enhance a person’s sense of self-worth. They may view these traits as part of their family identity, inspiring them to persevere through their challenges and to embody the resilience displayed by previous generations.
• For instance, a descendant of a WWII veteran might take pride in knowing their family contributed to defeating fascism and defending freedom on a global scale. Similarly, a descendant of a Vietnam War veteran might carry an understanding of the complexities of war, including the struggles soldiers face during and after service.

3. Connection to Broader Historical Themes

• People often feel a connection to history through their family stories, seeing their ancestors' participation as part of a larger narrative about freedom, justice, or ideological conflict. This sense of continuity with the past can lead to a deeper appreciation of the challenges their ancestors faced and how those challenges are relevant today.
• For example, understanding that an ancestor fought to defend American sovereignty in the War of 1812 might give someone a stronger appreciation for independence and self-determination. Learning about a WWII veteran ancestor might evoke a sense of responsibility to stand against injustice, while a Vietnam veteran ancestor might prompt a deeper understanding of the costs of war and the importance of questioning authority.

4. Reflection on Service and Sacrifice Across Generations

• For some, having family members who served in different wars with varied goals—protecting sovereignty, fighting ideologies, or containing threats—can highlight the changing nature of patriotism and service. It may lead them to reflect on what service means today, especially in a world with new and different types of challenges.
• They may also see each generation’s service as a testament to their family’s ongoing commitment to the values they hold dear, like bravery and sacrifice. This perspective often strengthens family bonds, fostering a sense of pride and a commitment to carry on those values, even if not through military service.

5. Ethical and Moral Reflection

• A person's view of their ancestors’ service can also involve ethical considerations, especially in wars like Vietnam, which raised questions about the morality of conflict and governmental decisions. Descendants of Vietnam veterans, in particular, may grapple with the moral complexity of that war, leading to nuanced views on service, authority, and foreign policy.
• This ethical reflection may result in a more complex form of patriotism, one that respects the sacrifices made by family members but also acknowledges the lessons learned from the consequences of these wars. Such reflections can prompt a desire for peace and responsible leadership, influencing the descendant's choices and beliefs.

In essence, an individual who is aware of their ancestors' service in these wars might see themselves as part of a continuum—a living link in a chain of history where ideals, sacrifices, and national struggles persist across generations. This connection can provide a foundation for their identity, values, and choices, blending personal pride with the lessons and legacies of their family's past.

The story in the play weaves together themes of fate, trauma, and the eternal bonds forged in conflict, all while exploring complex questions of identity and guilt. Here are some key interpretations and symbolic meanings in the context of the information provided:

1. Cycles of War and Trauma

• The recurring deaths of Trappist at the hands of Menses across multiple lifetimes suggest that the two are caught in a cycle of violence and tragedy. This echoes the generational repetition of war itself, where similar patterns of suffering and sacrifice recur across different conflicts and eras. Just as descendants of soldiers might see the same themes—sovereignty, ideology, and national duty—play out repeatedly, Menses and Trappist are symbols of those individuals trapped in an endless loop of conflict, with trauma continually passed down.
• Menses’s agitation reflects the disillusionment soldiers often feel in wartime, questioning the reasons behind their deployment. His panic mirrors the moral struggles many soldiers face when their sense of duty clashes with the reality of violence. Trappist’s calm and offering of food—fruitcake and peaches, items often shared as comforts in hard times—may represent an attempt to find humanity and shared purpose amid the chaos of war.

2. Reincarnation and Generational Karma

• The cycle of reincarnation between Trappist and Menses hints at karma, suggesting that Menses is doomed to confront and ultimately reconcile with his violent tendencies across lifetimes. This ties to the idea that wars, like personal conflicts, are cycles that humanity struggles to break free from.
• Their intertwined lives may serve as a metaphor for how each generation inherits the unresolved conflicts and traumas of the last. The idea that Menses is repeatedly responsible for Trappist’s death could represent how individuals, knowingly or unknowingly, perpetuate historical violence and trauma. Only by confronting and understanding this pattern can they hope to transcend it, symbolized by Menses’s journey into the afterlife guided by Trappist.

3. Acceptance of Mortality and Transformation

• As Menses faces his death with Trappist guiding him, there’s a shift from violence to acceptance. Trappist's ghostly presence serves as a reminder that death does not end their connection; rather, it offers a chance to confront their history and possibly find peace. This moment of acceptance transforms death from a feared enemy into a passage to a new understanding.
• The final scene, where Trappist urges Menses to "celebrate" despite their demise, could be interpreted as an embrace of life’s cycles, including the ending of those cycles. In acknowledging his own death, Menses may be symbolically breaking the pattern, suggesting that the only way to escape the violence of reincarnation is through acceptance and transcendence.

4. The Dual Nature of War as Both Binding and Destructive

• The foxhole setting forces the two characters into a close and claustrophobic bond, highlighting how war can create intense relationships under life-threatening circumstances. Trappist and Menses are bound by shared danger, but it also becomes their undoing. This dynamic reflects how soldiers in various wars develop lifelong connections with comrades, yet these relationships can be strained or tragically severed by violence.
• The ghostly revelation of their past lives serves as a metaphor for the shared traumas soldiers carry through life, as well as across generations. Each generation’s unresolved trauma perpetuates cycles of violence and suffering, a reminder that without healing, past conflicts may continue to haunt the present.

5. Celebrating Release and Finding Meaning in Tragedy

• The story’s ending implies that through death, Menses and Trappist might finally break their pattern. Their celebration may signify a release from the karmic ties of their past, freeing them from repeating this violent cycle in the future.
• This celebration can also be seen as a tribute to the perseverance and resilience of those who endured trauma in war. Despite the violence, the connection between the two characters represents a testament to shared humanity, a poignant reminder of the relationships and sacrifices made in the most challenging circumstances.

In sum, the story of Trappist and Menses speaks to the profound and often tragic connections forged in wartime. It reflects on how the legacies of past conflicts live on within individuals, affecting identity and behavior across generations. Their journey through death and reincarnation suggests that finding peace may require acknowledging and accepting past violence, ultimately leading to release and transformation.

But, what about that weird title: "Denude"?

The title Denude perfectly captures the play's core themes by suggesting a stripping away of layers, exposing raw truths, vulnerabilities, and the essence of each character beyond the facade of duty or anger. Here’s how it resonates with the play’s elements:

1. Stripping Down to Humanity: In the intense, close confines of the foxhole, the two soldiers are forced to confront not only the external war but also their own fears, beliefs, and mortality. Denude suggests this process of laying bare, as Trappist and Menses shed the societal and psychological armor they carry as soldiers. This reveals their raw humanity, flaws, and connections that transcend a single lifetime.

2. Revealing Cycles of Trauma and Violence: The title reflects the peeling back of time itself, exposing the repetitive cycles of conflict that these characters—and by extension, humanity—are trapped in. Through the surreal revelation of their reincarnation, Denude conveys how, stripped of superficial identities, they are left with only the core of their unresolved karmic bond.

3. Ancestral and Emotional Exposure: The play tackles heavy themes of inherited trauma and the weight of ancestral conflicts. Denude speaks to the exposure of these deep-seated wounds that each character carries, inviting audiences to consider the ways in which war and violence strip away innocence and leave behind scars that ripple through generations.

4. A Journey Toward Redemption and Truth: Finally, the act of “denuding” hints at a spiritual or existential uncovering—a stripping away of the cycles of violence until only truth remains. As Trappist leads Menses toward acceptance and, ultimately, peace, the title suggests a process of shedding illusions, perhaps even ego, to confront and understand their shared history.

Denude thus encapsulates themes of revelation, vulnerability, and the journey toward a profound understanding of self and others, central to the play’s exploration of reincarnation, war, and redemption.

So should I have titled it "Foxhole"? Maybe, maybe not. Is the play any good? Yeah, I think so. It's also, from a stage manager's and director's perspective, kind of a cool, and versatile play. And a bit spooky in the performance, making it interesting to act in.

Compiled with the aid of ChatGPT