The Failure to Zig Zag

by  John B. Ferzacca

Full Length Play, Drama  /  16m

"A play of epic scope... attempting to bring clarity and justice overdue to an incident in our history." - Los Angeles Times

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The Failure to Zig Zag

by  John B. Ferzacca

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The Failure to Zig Zag

  • Cast Size

    Cast Size

    16m
  • SubGenre

    Subgenre

    Docudrama/Historic
  • Audience

    Target Audience

    • Adult
    • Senior

Additional Info

Neither the captain of the USS Indianapolis, McVay, nor his crew were told the cargo they had delivered in Tinian contained the essential components for the atomic bomb to be dropped in Hiroshima. Having completed its top secret mission, the ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine. The crew languished in shark infested waters while Naval authorities logged the ship safe in port. The navy's coverup and attempt to make McVay a scapegoat lead to a national scandal.
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Reviews

"A play of epic scope... attempting to bring clarity and justice overdue to an incident in our history." - Los Angeles Times

Keywords

Politics, War

Considerations

Performing Groups

  • College Theatre / Student
  • Community Theatre
  • Professional Theatre
  • Large Stage

License details

  • Minimum Fee: $75 per performance

Production

Details

  • Time Period: 1970s, 1960s, 1950s, 1940s / WWII
  • Setting: July, 1945-July, 1975. The Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. and beyond.
  • Features / Contains: Period Costumes

Music

  • Musical Style: N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal Demands: N/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size: N/A (Not a musical)

Casting

16m

CHARLES V. MCVAY III - Captain
DAVID E. WALL - Rear Admiral
ALAN C. BRETT - Lieutenant Commander
LEWIS GREENE - Reporter
WAYNE PULASKI - Radioman 1st Class
SAM BERTELLI - Electricians Mate 2nd Class
MARCUS KINGMAN - Seaman 1st Class
BRIAN T. SAMUELSON - Ensign
DALLAS LOFTEN - Private 1st Class, USMC
MICKEY JOHNSON - Seaman 2nd Class
THOMAS ABERNATHY - Petty Officer 2nd Class
DEFENSE/ JAMES HARCOURT - Captain
HAROLD SCHMIDT - Lieutenant
PROSECUTION / DWIGHT EFFIS - Captain
JON J. SULLIVAN - Commander
ARNOLD DALBERG - Pilot, Army Air Corps
MOCHITSURA HASHIMOTO - Commander
GLYNN DONAHO - Captain
THREE MEMBERS OF THE PRESS
AN M.P. AND VOICE

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Cast Attributes

  • All Male
  • Reduced casting (Doubling Possible)

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Authors

John B. Ferzacca

John B. Ferzacca

The Failure to Zig Zag was first presented at the Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana on March 17, 1981. It was directed by Tom Haas.

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