The genesis of “In Times of War” — receiving its world premiere at Stage Left Theatre in Wrigleyville — is clear as day.
You can easily see the steps traced by playwright David Alan Moore, who presumably wondered what this Ex Parte Quirin thing is that the government keeps trotting out as legal justification for all that occurs, in the name of national security, to suspected terrorists detained at Guantanamo Bay.
Ex Parte Quirin is the 1942 Supreme Court case that validated the use of military tribunals. Some 60 years later, that court decision is more than just a footnote; it is our current plan of attack. Wouldn’t you like to know how we got here?
What Moore offers is a history lesson with some creative license — though the final result isn’t as compelling as the premise.
The facts of the case concern a group of Germans, armed with explosives, who landed on U.S. shores at the height of World War II. Their plan was to destroy various wartime infrastructures — factories, power plants, the railroad system.
They never got the chance. Their leader — coerced into service by the Nazis — surrendered and confessed upon reaching American soil.
“In Times of War” traces the course of events that occur after the saboteurs are imprisoned, and the story is distilled to the fate of a single man, the leader of this band of would-be terrorists.
Yet despite the intimacy of the scenes, there is something stolid about the play. It feels like a civics lesson: Here’s an argument in favor of military commissions; now here’s argument against them.
Director Ann Filmer allows the rhythms to become predictable — often culminating in a you-can’t-handle-the-truth-like fury — and the production is saddled with atonal piano plunkings, courtesy of sound designer Edward Reardon. With the issues at hand, a less arty touch is needed.
That being said, Paul Dunckel gives an exceptionally intelligent performance as the Army attorney caught between his sense of duty and his internal moral compass. Dunckel has a Campbell Scott-like sturdiness that radiates good looks and good intentions — and a trustworthy face that doesn’t quite reveal what its owner is thinking.
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“In Times of War”
When: Through Nov. 11
Where: Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave.
Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Tickets: $18-$22 at 773-883-8830
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