During the Great Depression thousands of American World War I veterans gathered in Washington DC to demand payment of promised bonuses. The government, the police and the army responded with force, eventually attacking the protesters with fire, guns and tear gas. Scottish playwright, Peter Arnott's new play is a documentary about the so-called Bonus March, which took place in 1932. Making use of newspaper reports, memoirs, government records and eyewitness accounts, and also including several contemporary songs, the elements come together to form a touching story that starts with the soldiers marching off to war in 1917, but ends long after the armistice.
There are some lovely details in this production, such as the live sound effects created on stage, and the visual theme of umbrellas variously used to represent guns, shovels and even a burial. What really carries the play is the combination of interesting historical narrative and engaging performances from the ensemble cast. The singing is of a high standard, and the student actors from Pepperdine University present a well-staged, well-acted show, with moods that range from fear and anger to sarcastic cheerfulness.
This is a timely production: angry young people, complaining about unemployment, tales of bailouts after irresponsible lending, large numbers of people campaigning for justice, it all sounds very familiar. So familiar, in fact, that there is no need for the kind of patronising pointers included in the play, such as the line "We are still talking about 1929, of course".
‘Why do you stand there in the rain?’ tells the kind of tale usually left out of war stories. It is entertaining, even when the quotations and dates get a bit much, and it is also a good chance to see an energetic young cast perform their hearts out.
