BELLINGHAM THEATREWORKS
2014 SEASON
The Ghosts of Tonkin
Written by Steve Lyons | Directed by Mark Kuntz
It will devastate two countries.
It will topple the President of the United States.
It will kill two million people.
And one man will try to stop it before it begins.
In August, 1964, our smoldering involvement in Vietnam was ignited into all out war when the North Vietnamese attacked a US destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin. But it was later revealed that the alleged attack, in fact, never happened. When the Iraq War began, people drew an analogy between the genesis of that war, and the beginnings of the Vietnam War.
In 1964, Oregon's Senator Wayne Morse was an outspoken critic of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that authorized military intervention in Vietnam. Senator Morse was one of only two congressmen to vote against the resolution. The Vietnam War eventually killed over two million people.
August 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. As part of the "Wayne Morse Legacy Series," sponsored in part by the Wayne Morse Center at the University of Oregon, The Ghosts of Tonkin will tour Oregon following the premier in Bellingham.
Winner of the prestigious Fratti-Newman Political Play Writing Award, The Ghosts of Tonkin is based on telephone conversations, senate transcripts, recently released NSA documents and other sources.
This is the powerful story of how seemingly well-intentioned public officials brought about one of the most devastating chapters in the history of the United States: The Vietnam War.
Written by Steve Lyons; directed by Mark Kuntz
Featuring Greg Monahan as Senator Wayne Morse; Gray Eubank as LBJ; Robert Hankins as Robert McNamara; Jim Lortz as William Fulbright; Heather Dudenbostel as Doris; Evan Kubena as Ben.
BELLINGHAM
The Ghosts of Tonkin played August 29 and 30 at Bellingham High School auditorium.
PORTLAND
The Ghosts of Tonkin played September 27 at Lincoln Hall on the Portland State University Campus.
EUGENE
The Ghosts of Tonkin played September 28 at The Wildish Theatre in Springfield.
Naval intelligence officer, Lieutenant Doris Little, (Heather Dudenbostel) confronts Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Robbie Hankins) about the attack in the Gulf of Tonkin as Senator Wayne Morse (Greg Monahan) looks on, in The Ghosts of Tonkin.
Donate to support Bellingham TheatreWorks
Border Songs
In association with Village Books, Bellingham TheatreWorks presents the stage adaptation of Jim Lynch's best-selling novel, an ode to life on the Washington/Canadian border: Border Songs, the winner of the 2010 Washington State Book Award.
The Seattle Times described the Book-It Theatre’s 2011 premier of Border Songs as a beautiful, fully engaging new adaptation.
This whimsical adaptation of Border Songs explores the tensions, struggles, law and lawlessness at the Peace-Arch border through the eyes of Brandon, a quirky, dyslexic, socially-awkward border patrolman.
A cast of ten plays over twenty different characters, including menacing drug smugglers, metaphysical massage therapists, illegal immigrants, EPA agents, surly Lynden dairy farmers, obsessed bird watchers, Canadian cannabis entrepreneurs, oddball border dwellers and some of your other neighbors!
Played in Bellingham and Lynden during the summer of 2014. Cast included Kyle Henick, Tim Tully, Sue Dodson, Beth Wallace, Linnea Ingalls, Jim Lortz, Jessica Young, John Gonzales, Jacob Bevelacqua, Angela Kiser, Mario Orallo-Molinaro, Brian Beede, Becky Byrd
Donate to support Bellingham TheatreWorks
IN THE MEDIA:
THE GHOSTS OF TONKIN
Sept 25, 2014: Willamette Week article about The Ghosts of Tonkin HERE.
Sept 25, 2014: Eugene Weekly article about The Ghosts of Tonkin HERE.
Sept 25, 2014: KLCC interview with The Ghosts of Tonkin playwright Steve Lyons HERE.
Sept 24, 2014: KXRY "Carl in the Morning" interview with The Ghosts of Tonkin playwright Steve Lyons HERE.
Sept 23, 2014: KPSU "Pipeline" interview with The Ghosts of Tonkin playwright Steve Lyons HERE.
Sept 23, 2014: KBOO "Stage and Studio" interview with The Ghosts of Tonkin playwright Steve Lyons HERE.
Sept 23, 2014: Oregon Public Broadcasting "Think Out Loud" interview with The Ghosts of Tonkin playwright Steve Lyons HERE.
Sept 22, 2014: Oregonian article about The Ghosts of Tonkin HERE.
Sept 1, 2014: The Ghosts of Tonkin is "Editor's Pick" in Portland Monthly HERE.
August 27, 2014: Cascadia Weekly interview with Steve Lyons about The Ghosts of Tonkin, HERE.
August 21, 2014: Bellingham Herald guest article by Steve Lyons about The Ghosts of Tonkin, HERE.
August 14, 2014: Playwright Steve Lyons discusses the upcoming production of The Ghosts of Tonkin on The Joe Show on KBAI, HERE.
August 2014: Article about Bellingham TheatreWorks and The Ghosts of Tonkin in the August issue of Bellingham Alive!.
August 2014: Article about Bellingham TheatreWorks and The Ghosts of Tonkin in the August issue of Entertainment News North West.
BORDER SONGS
June 25, 2014: Border Songs is the cover story in Cascadia Weekly, HERE.
June 21, 2014: Review of Border Songs in Entertainment News Northwest HERE.
June 20, 2014: Review of Border Songs in PlayBell HERE.