The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner, a play inspired by a poem of the same title, was written and directed by Anna Moench. The play focuses on the life and final mission of Randall, a ball turret gunner, during World War II. We see Randall at home with his family, enlisting in the Air Force, and in the ball turret during his final mission.
Randall was greatly influenced by the stories that his sister, Susan, told him. Susan told Randall about a storm so horrendous that she thought that she would die. Susan said that after seeing what seemed to be the end of the world, she experienced a feeling of complete peace. She felt ready to die because of the beauty of the sky and clouds after the storm. Randall wanted to see the beauty of the sky after the storm, to feel that complete satisfaction with his life. He had that opportunity as a ball turret gunner.The intensity of The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner is heightened by the use of original music performed by a live orchestra. Its haunting sound remains in your mind well after the play is over. The set, consisting of only one stool, is used most creatively in the different locations depicted in the play. The battle scenes are created by simple, yet expressive choreography. With only a blue light shining overhead, the movements are hypnotic, and you find yourself wishing you did not have to blink.
I was fortunate enough to speak with creator Anna Moench. She said she read the poem The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner in high school, and it stayed with her ever since. The dialogue of the play, inspired by a poem, is intentionally poetic. Each line of the five-line poem inspired a different scene of the play.
I recommend seeing this play. Not only is the story interesting, but you might learn something. In fact, that was one of Anna Moench’s goals. She told me that it was especially important that we learn from our past, and never forget it.
WHAT IS A BALL TURRET GUNNER?
During WWII, a special compartment was designed on a fighter plane that was controlled by the smallest man on the crew. The compartment was too small for emergency equipment - like a parachute. There were several ways that things could go wrong. You could suffocate, fall to your death, be shot out of the sky, or be smashed to bits if your aircraft landed without landing gear. Needless to say, it was a very high-risk job.
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner presented as part of FringeNYC. For more information visit www.annamoench.com
Posts
