RETURN TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
Written & Performed by David Kleinberg
Directed by Mark Kenward
March 16 – April 21, 2018 | San Francisco
Fridays at 8pm | Saturdays at 5pm
Best of Fringe –Nugget Fringe Festival 2018
Theatre Bay Area Recommended Production
“This is not a tale about the glory of war nor its pointlessness. It is, instead, a simple story told with sincerity by the man who lived it. ” — Doug Konecky, SF Theater Blog
“Truly riveting… as healing as it is painful, as refreshing as it is visceral. A must see at this year’s fringe!” –Nugget Festival Critic, Bennet Tyler
“Moving… a diamond in the rough.” –DC Theatre Scene
“Riveting… last 15 minutes astonishing!” –DCist
Show Description
David Kleinberg returns to Vietnam for the first time in 50 years to revisit the base camp where his buddies died and 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 Communist government’s approval. David is up every night at 3 looking for the first flight home. David didn’t go Vietnam expecting to do a sequel to LBJ but that’s what happened. A powerful work on one veteran’s return to Vietnam to face his past, and the struggle to make peace.
Special Events
project participant. ETS bridges the divide between military veterans and the civilian public, bringing together mixed ensembles of veterans and non-veterans to create original performances based on their own stories. Through story sharing and relationship building, the ETS project works toward transformation through creating civilian allies, a more inclusive society, and a more nuanced dialogue about contemporary U.S. conflicts and our involvement abroad and at home. ETS project participants will share a bit about how the project has impacted them and the work they do. And we’ll share about ETS’s current project CENTENNIAL RECKONING, featuring stories of women, LGBTQ+ and Immigrant veterans from WWI forward.
Artist Biography
David Kleinberg has been doing solo theater performance for ten years. “Return to the Scene of the Crime” marks his third work. David was an editor and writer at the San Francisco Chronicle for 34 years, including 14 years as editor of the Sunday Datebook. David has also been a stand-up comedian for 10 years, appearing with Robin Williams, Richard Lewis and Dana Carvey. David wants to thank Marsh founder/artistic director Stephanie Weisman, his director Mark Kenward, teacher David Ford and other valuable people who have helped in his theater work including Charlie Varon, Rebecca Fisher, Julia McNeal, Wayne Harris and Leonard Pitt.