Rosebud Theatre’s All is Calm a song for peace

By Laureen F. Guenther Times Contributor

All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 opened at Rosebud Theatre, Nov. 4, running til Dec. 23. The musical play, written by Peter Rothstein, was directed by Morris Ertman, with musical direction by Bill Hamm.

An ensemble of eight men – Joel Braun, Griffin Cork, Tim Dixon, Mark Kazakov, Aaron Krogman, Steven Morton, Kenaniah Love Schnare and Blair Young – tells this story in acapella music and authentic letters written from the front.

The men sing and tell of the excitement of setting off to war, proclaiming their optimism that it will all be over by Christmas. But soon they’re singing of the loneliness, the deprivation, the darkness, the deaths of their comrades. When Christmas nears, the war’s end is further away than ever.

But then soldiers begin singing to each other from the trenches. By Christmas Day, they’re out of their trenches, fraternizing in No Man’s Land. They sing together in English and German. They share photos and stories. They bury their dead in a shared, bilingual graveside service. And they enjoy a game of football.

Quickly, their commanding officers issue a sharp reprimand. And the Christmas ceasefire is never repeated during the war.

The songs of All is Calm, ranging from sacred to traditional to ribald to ridiculous, are marvelously sculpted. Under Bill Hamm’s direction, the music feels warm and personal, so that the whole experience feels like a conversation, a personal storytelling. We so completely take these long-ago soldiers into our hearts that, when the performers waved goodbye before leaving the stage, audience members waved back.

As we recognize Remembrance Day this week, and Christmas just a few more weeks away, war still ranges in far-away countries, and at home, opposing political views are separating friends and families.

But as All is Calm speculates, what would happen if we all laid down our arms, reached out our hands, and refused to fight any more? We long for this reminder that we can work for peace – and the hope that we can still make it happen.

All is Calm runs on Rosebud’s Opera House stage until Dec. 23. Tickets come with the buffet meal, but may also be purchased without. For tickets and more information, go to rosebudtheatre.com or call 1-800-267-7553.