Palestine, New Mexico

This play is a dark comedy about an Indian soldier Private Birdsong from Palestine, New Mexico who dies in combat while stationed in Iraq.  His female  commanding officer, Captain Siler, has ghosts that haunt her about his death.  So the play starts with her trying to see Birdsong's father, Chief Birdsong, to deliver a letter from his son that was written before his death.  She doesn't know what is in it and most of the play deals with her trying to find out what really happened in Iraq and the secrets the tribe hide from even themselves.

It is interesting the way the desert in New Mexico transposes to the desert in Iraq.  The water tower turns into a tower of a Muslim Mosque.  The comedy relief comes from the tribe in New Mexico that struggles to maintain their Indian heritage in today's world.  There is a research professor who claims to have 1/16th Indian blood in him so that he can live on the reservation for his study.  He rides a bicycle around the reservation and when he dismounts his bike, he says, "Whoa Trigger!"

The secret is that years ago during the Spanish Inquisition, Jews were brought to the New World as slaves and they soon settled in the area marrying into the local native tribes.  So over the years it was discovered that the Indians have Jewish heritage which may conflict with the Christian subsidies for the reservations.

There were many empty seats in the theatre just before the play started, so we thought we were going to see a lemon.  But far from it.  We had a good time and many of the audience members besides us, enjoyed the show immensely.