Streamers
is a play by David Rabe The production transferred to Broadway, opening on April 21 1976 at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, where it ran for 478 performances. The cast included Terry Alexander as Roger, Paul Rudd as Billy, and Dorian Harewood as Carlyle, with Evans, Sweet, and McMillian reprising their Long Wharf roles. Later in the run Mark Metcalf replaced Rudd as Billy.
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STREAMERS TICKETS
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Plot synopsis
The last in his
Vietnam War trilogy that began with
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
and
Sticks and Bones
, it focuses on the interactions and personal conflicts of a group of soldiers preparing to ship out to fight in the
Southeast Asian conflict. Among them are
middle class African American Roger,
upper class Manhattanite Richie, who is struggling with his sexual orientation, conservative
Wisconsin country boy Billy, and fearful loose cannon Carlyle, a streetwise black. In charge of their barracks are abrasive
alcoholic Sgt. Cokes, who already has served overseas, and aggressive Sgt. Rooney, who is anxious to get into combat.
Its title a reference to
parachutes that fail to open,
Streamers
originally was a one-act play entitled
Knives
Rabe completed in the late-1960s prior to writing the first two-thirds of his trilogy. While working as a
journalist in
New Haven, Connecticut, he expanded it into a full-length play. Under the direction of
Mike Nichols, it premiered at the
Long Wharf Theatre on
January 30 1976. The cast included
Herbert Jefferson, Jr. as Roger, Peter Evans as Richie,
John Heard as Billy, Joe Fields as Carlyle,
Dolph Sweet as Cokes, and
Kenneth McMillan as Rooney.
This 1976 award-winning play
Streamers by
David Rabe has been revived by
Roundabout Theatre at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre in 2008. This production was based on the one presented a year before, by the
Huntington Theatre. It was directed by
Scott Ellis.
The 2008 cast includes
J.D. Williams as Roger,
Hale Appleman as Richie,
Brad Fleischer as Billy,
Atoh Essandoh as Carlyle,
Larry Clarke as Sgt. Cokes, and
John Sharian as Sgt. Rooney.
Film adaptation
In 1983, Rabe adapted his play for a feature film directed by
Robert Altman and produced by Robert Michael Geisler and
John Roberdeau (
The Thin Red Line
). The cast included
David Alan Grier as Roger,
Mitchell Lichtenstein as Richie,
Matthew Modine as Billy,
Michael Wright as Carlyle,
George Dzundza as Cokes, and
Guy Boyd as Rooney. The movie was awarded an unprecedented Golden Lion for its entire ensemble cast at the Venice Film Festival.
Awards and Nominations
Awards
1976
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
1976
New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play
Nominations
1976
Tony Award for Best Play