David on a captured American tank at Cu Chi -- His old base camp isn't anything like the way be remembered it in 1966
'Return to the Scene of the Crime' Begins
12-Show Run at Prominent S.F. Marsh March 16
12-Show Run at Prominent S.F. Marsh March 16
The sequel to 'Hey, Hey, LBJ!': An army vet returns to where his buddies died and
try to perform his 1-man show under threat of arrest from the communist government
David Kleinberg returns to Vietnam for the first time in 50 years to revisit the base camp where his buddies died and try to perform his acclaimed solo theater work on the Vietnam war, “Hey, Hey, LBJ!” But David’s wife, daughter and his ex-Vietnam buddies all tell him he’s going to get arrested for trying to stage the work without the government’s permission. David is up every night at 3 looking for the first flight home.
Fresh off of winning Best of Fringe at the Nugget Fringe Festival in Grass Valley, David brings his new piece -- "Return to the Scene of the Crime" -- to The Marsh in San Francisco for a 12-show from March 16 to April 21. The opening-night show takes place on the 50th Anniversary of the My Lai Massacre.
"Return" charts David's journey back to visit Cu Chi, where David was an army combat correspondent for the 25th Infantry Division from 1966-67. David came to Vietnam supporting the war and went home to protest the conflict.
But a half century later David is traveling alone, and does not anticipate the intense feelings that will arise as he returns to a modern-day communist country. Cu Chi is not anything like the way he wants to remember it, and no producer is willing to take the risk of taking David's show "Hey, Hey, LBJ!" to the Communist Culture Committee for approval. Finally, David has to face the prospect of performing the work in an authorized home show, told that, if it happens, no Vietnamese would be allowed to attend for fear of government informers..
During the course of his venture, David is also seeks to find the alleyway where he once lived for three months while editing the 25th Infantry Division newspaper. A Washington DC critic says that "Return" features "an astonishing" ending. More reviews below.
Directed by Mark Kenward. Developed with David Ford
Fresh off of winning Best of Fringe at the Nugget Fringe Festival in Grass Valley, David brings his new piece -- "Return to the Scene of the Crime" -- to The Marsh in San Francisco for a 12-show from March 16 to April 21. The opening-night show takes place on the 50th Anniversary of the My Lai Massacre.
"Return" charts David's journey back to visit Cu Chi, where David was an army combat correspondent for the 25th Infantry Division from 1966-67. David came to Vietnam supporting the war and went home to protest the conflict.
But a half century later David is traveling alone, and does not anticipate the intense feelings that will arise as he returns to a modern-day communist country. Cu Chi is not anything like the way he wants to remember it, and no producer is willing to take the risk of taking David's show "Hey, Hey, LBJ!" to the Communist Culture Committee for approval. Finally, David has to face the prospect of performing the work in an authorized home show, told that, if it happens, no Vietnamese would be allowed to attend for fear of government informers..
During the course of his venture, David is also seeks to find the alleyway where he once lived for three months while editing the 25th Infantry Division newspaper. A Washington DC critic says that "Return" features "an astonishing" ending. More reviews below.
Directed by Mark Kenward. Developed with David Ford
Marsh Run Post-Show Panels, Discussions With Performer
Friday March 16 – Panel Discussion: The 50th Anniversary of My Lai Massacre. What Did the My Lai Massacre Say About the Nature of the Vietnam War and What Does It Mean for American Today?" Fundraiser, 100% of David’s share of the box office goes to the Vietnam vet non-profit group Swords to Plowshares.
Friday March 23 – Background on “Return” and Q&A with the performer.
Friday, March 30 – Background on “Return” and Q&A with the performer, focus on 45th Anniversary of last American combat soldier to leave Vietnam -- Michael Bilke story. A staff sergeant who survived the Korean and Vietnam wars, and died on September 11, 2001 when the hijacked American Airlines crashed into the Pentagon. Bilke was working there on veterans issues.
Friday, April 6 – Panel Discussion: “American Divided Then and Now” Back then, America was torn apart, and today we are torn apart again. What is the difference between then and now? Did Vietnam lead to today’s divisions? Fundraiser, 100% of David’s share of the box office goes to the Marsh.
Friday, April 13 – Panel Discussion: “What Was It Like for You to Go Back?” A panel of veterans talk about returning to Vietnam years later and what difference it made in their lives. And some on the panel who say they can never go back. Fundraiser, 100% of David’s share of the box office goes to Veterans for Peace.
Friday, April 20 -- Background on “Return” and Q&A with the performer, just 10 days before the 43rd anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
Friday March 23 – Background on “Return” and Q&A with the performer.
Friday, March 30 – Background on “Return” and Q&A with the performer, focus on 45th Anniversary of last American combat soldier to leave Vietnam -- Michael Bilke story. A staff sergeant who survived the Korean and Vietnam wars, and died on September 11, 2001 when the hijacked American Airlines crashed into the Pentagon. Bilke was working there on veterans issues.
Friday, April 6 – Panel Discussion: “American Divided Then and Now” Back then, America was torn apart, and today we are torn apart again. What is the difference between then and now? Did Vietnam lead to today’s divisions? Fundraiser, 100% of David’s share of the box office goes to the Marsh.
Friday, April 13 – Panel Discussion: “What Was It Like for You to Go Back?” A panel of veterans talk about returning to Vietnam years later and what difference it made in their lives. And some on the panel who say they can never go back. Fundraiser, 100% of David’s share of the box office goes to Veterans for Peace.
Friday, April 20 -- Background on “Return” and Q&A with the performer, just 10 days before the 43rd anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
From top left, 1) Kleinberg performs 'Hey, Hey, LBJ!' in Ho Chi Minh with a projected imagine of himself at City Hall in 1968 protesting the war; 2) emerging from a "VC" tunnel at tourist-oriented Cu Chi, his old base camp; 3) before HCMC's modern-day skyscrapers; and 4) with a disabled landmine victim, now a book merchant at the War Remnants Museum
'Return to the Scene' -- Where It's Been Seen
June 10, 7:30 pm -- San Geronimo Valley Center
July 7-23 -- Capital Fringe, Washington DC
August 8 -- Marsh SF, David Ford Class Show
August 28 -- Berkeley Marsh, "Tell It on Tuesday"
September 8-23 -- S.F. Fringe Festival
October 18 -- S.F. Marsh Theater, Marsh Rising
November 13 and 27 -- S.F. Monday Night Marsh, S.F.
January 20-28, 2018 -- Nugget Fringe (Grass Valley)
July 7-23 -- Capital Fringe, Washington DC
August 8 -- Marsh SF, David Ford Class Show
August 28 -- Berkeley Marsh, "Tell It on Tuesday"
September 8-23 -- S.F. Fringe Festival
October 18 -- S.F. Marsh Theater, Marsh Rising
November 13 and 27 -- S.F. Monday Night Marsh, S.F.
January 20-28, 2018 -- Nugget Fringe (Grass Valley)
'Return' Reviews/Awards
Best of 2018 Fringe, Nugget Festival, Grass Valley
Nugget Fringe Critic Bennett Tyler: From the beginning . . . the story flows out of him, enrapturing his audience. (It) is no stale recollection of the Vietnam War. It is truly riveting and will leave you in awe of the passion in this man’s mission to turn an experience of violence into a work of art. This show is as healing as it is painful, and as refreshing as it is visceral. A must see at this years Nugget Fringe!'
Legendary Director David Ford (Marsh Theater) -- 'Funny, touching . . . David does a beautiful job of riding the torrents of emotion.'
DC Theatre Scene: ‘Moving . . . a diamond in the rough’
DCist: 'Riveting . . . the last 15 minutes . . . astonishing!’
Sue Bevan (Solo Performer) -- 'Powerful and moving . . . A must-see of the S.F. Fringe!'
Charlie Varon (S.F. Marsh Theater director-teacher-performer) -- 'Still thinking about the show the next morning.'
S.F. Fringe Critic Jo Tomalin -- 'Not to be missed."
Nugget Fringe Critic Bennett Tyler: From the beginning . . . the story flows out of him, enrapturing his audience. (It) is no stale recollection of the Vietnam War. It is truly riveting and will leave you in awe of the passion in this man’s mission to turn an experience of violence into a work of art. This show is as healing as it is painful, and as refreshing as it is visceral. A must see at this years Nugget Fringe!'
Legendary Director David Ford (Marsh Theater) -- 'Funny, touching . . . David does a beautiful job of riding the torrents of emotion.'
DC Theatre Scene: ‘Moving . . . a diamond in the rough’
DCist: 'Riveting . . . the last 15 minutes . . . astonishing!’
Sue Bevan (Solo Performer) -- 'Powerful and moving . . . A must-see of the S.F. Fringe!'
Charlie Varon (S.F. Marsh Theater director-teacher-performer) -- 'Still thinking about the show the next morning.'
S.F. Fringe Critic Jo Tomalin -- 'Not to be missed."
'Hey, Hey, LBJ!': Reviews and Achievements
* Washington Post: "As polished and moving as the Capital Fringe is likely to see (out of 119 shows).”
* Ex-Rolling Stone senior writer: “Fantastic, powerful, moving, full house, standing applause.”
* New Orleans Advocate: "Kleinberg's "lack of bravado, genuine disgust with the absurdity of war, and unabashedly deep love for his comrades carry the day . . . A powerful story."
* SF Theater Blog: "As strong as . . . shows we've seen on larger (Bay Area) stages."
* Fresno Bee: “Brought me to tears, and I rarely ever cry when reviewing a show.”
* 8-Show Run: S.F. Marsh Theater (2015).
* Performed in Sydney, Australia (2016).
* Broadway World: 1 of 11 shows recommended out of 120 in United Solo on Broadway in N.Y.
* New Orleans Times-Picayune: 1 of 10 shows recommended out of 86 in the N.O. Fringe.
* Sunset Magazine: 1 of 3 shows to recommended out of 47 in the S.F. Fringe.
'Hey, Hey, LBJ!': Reviews and Achievements
* Washington Post: "As polished and moving as the Capital Fringe is likely to see (out of 119 shows).”
* Ex-Rolling Stone senior writer: “Fantastic, powerful, moving, full house, standing applause.”
* New Orleans Advocate: "Kleinberg's "lack of bravado, genuine disgust with the absurdity of war, and unabashedly deep love for his comrades carry the day . . . A powerful story."
* SF Theater Blog: "As strong as . . . shows we've seen on larger (Bay Area) stages."
* Fresno Bee: “Brought me to tears, and I rarely ever cry when reviewing a show.”
* 8-Show Run: S.F. Marsh Theater (2015).
* Performed in Sydney, Australia (2016).
* Broadway World: 1 of 11 shows recommended out of 120 in United Solo on Broadway in N.Y.
* New Orleans Times-Picayune: 1 of 10 shows recommended out of 86 in the N.O. Fringe.
* Sunset Magazine: 1 of 3 shows to recommended out of 47 in the S.F. Fringe.
'Return' on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/davidkleinbergreturn/
'Hey, Hey, LBJ' Website
www.heyheylbj.weebly.com