Overview

Set inside the Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi, this drama provides a close up look at experiences of actual POWs in Vietnam.

Navy Lieutenant Gerald Coffee was captured in North Vietnam in 1966. Prisoner follows his experiences with guards who endeavored to strip away his identity and break his will, and depicts how he finds the means to survive by communicating secretly with other prisoners. The terrors and the fleeting joys, including moments of connection and humanity between captor and captive, are brought to life on the stage. After three years of torture in captivity, Lt. Coffee is offered the ultimate temptation: he will be set free if he writes a letter to Ho Chi Minh requesting amnesty. An inspiring story of life and honor, Prisoner was honored at the 1994 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Keywords

• Asian issues
• Death
• Friendship
• Politics
• Religion
• War
• KCACTF: Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival New Play