Tim Robbins Embedded

Embedded. Written and Directed by Tim Robbins. A raucous commentary about the journalists, politicians and media frenzy surrounding a modern day war. Fringed with the jaded sarcasm of front line journalists, the outrageous schemes of government officials and the biting humor of a show-tune singing colonel. At the center of the madness, the play focuses on the brave women and men fighting on the front lines. - Embedded

Robbins interviewed embedded journalist Evan Wright of Rolling Stone as part of his research, along with Anthony Swofford, the Gulf War I veteran who wrote the popular book Jarhead. - Editor & Publisher

In the past four weeks, I have been on hand while this comparatively small unit of Marines has killed quite a few people. I personally saw three civilians shot, one of them fatally with a bullet in the eye. These were just the tip of the iceberg. The Marines killed dozens, if not hundreds, in combat through direct fire. And no one will probably ever know how many died from the approximately 30,000 pounds of bombs First Recon ordered dropped during airstrikes, or from the several hundred rounds of artillery the battalion called in on towns and highways, often at night. And of these perhaps hundreds of fatalities, how many others are without legs or eyes or other pieces of their bodies? I can’t imagine how the man ultimately responsible for all of these deaths — at least on the battalion level — sorts it all out and draws the line between what is wanton killing and what is civilized military conduct. I suppose if it were up to me, I might let Captain America keep his job, but I would take away his rifle and bayonet and give him a cap gun. - Evan Wright

Two days ago, I received an invitation to cover the war for a magazine. For a few hours I considered an irrational act—resigning my teaching position with five weeks left in the semester, packing my ruck, grabbing some yellow pads, chasing down a flak, and going. For the hours that I played with this combat-journalist vision of myself I recalled the excitement and fear that I first knew as I packed my ruck for Riyadh. I saw myself crouching to shield myself from incoming, shoving a mic into a young Marine’s face as he attempted to clear his jammed—fucking jammed again—M16A2. And this is why I didn’t resign my teaching position. War journalists should have no room for fantasy. I am not a war journalist. I am a writer who happened once to go to war. I like being alone in a room for hours and even days on end. I don’t like being uncomfortable, I hate temperatures not between 50 degrees and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, I can no longer eat processed meat items seasoned with drops of Tabasco sauce. - Anthony Swofford

You’re not on the ground, there is no historical, no empirical evidence to say…that what you’re believing or saying politically (is true),” Doherty said. “With all due respect sir, a lot of people in this country feel this administration went to this war with an agenda of their own and this play resonates with a lot of people who come to see it,” countered V.J. Foster, an actor who plays the character of Col. Hardchannel in the play. - William LaJeunesse

Tim Robbins decided to write a play about the War in Iraq. The only research he does is talk to a single reporter who was actually there and a writer who chose not to be there. But that is not important since the play doesn’t have to true, as long as it “resonates with a lot of people who come to see it.”

As a work of drama, [Tim Robbins]’ “Embedded,” now playing at the Actors’ Gang in Hollywood, is something of a work in progress. It’s sketchy and sometimes seems semi-focused, with too many cardboard cutouts being passed off as characters and the kind of energetically slapdash staging that your kid brother might’ve cooked up in the basement on a rainy afternoon. - Reed Johnson

It apparently doesn’t have to be any good, either. Try reading Embedded: The Media At War in Iraq instead.

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You missed V.J. Foster's comeuppance:

"That is your opinion based on what you saw in the newspaper," Doherty shot back. "I'm giving you an opinion based on what I saw with my boots on the ground and in the sand."

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Tim Robbins Embedded

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