A Note from Director Jordan Formichelli: 

The word that I have found myself returning to, time after time, during this process is this: conditioning. Throughout American history, boys are conditioned through the military complex which is traditionally rooted in our country’s perception of masculinity. Dogfight shows us the results of the conditioning these young men endured during the Vietnam era. 

The show doesn’t create villains out of these boys, but rather illuminates vulnerability and ignorance. Hometown Hero Ticker Tape Parade is explanatory of the entitlement being embedded into the lives of these Marines “That’s what they promised up.” ...but it is evident from the start “Some kinda time / take what we own.” As our very own Birdlace, Trevor Gatcomb, said during the rehearsal process, “[It is] not [about finding] acceptance, but an understanding.” 

Dogfight is a story of two different worlds and struggles colliding. One of the civilian culture in 1960s San Francisco and the other of the Vietnam war which meld in a “memory space” that exists for Birdlace and Rose. It was important for us to see how the other people “on the periphery” of Birdlace and Rose’s story stick in their memories: How the experiences of the other girls at the party affects Rose. How the friendship and connection with the other two “B’s” stays with Birdlace after the war. How other marines and civilians deal with the displacement and disassociation that comes with men returning home (or in many cases, not returning) from war. 

We have the tendency to fixate on the horrible things these young men in this play say and do, but this is not something that has been taken out of our society today. We are just more aware of it. The heartbreak and inner-conflict Rose faces is such a truth of human condition, especially for young girls. I’m sure many young women have experienced this kind of heartbreak, rejection, and have questioned their self worth. I think that is where this show shines. The crossroads between two motifs: entitlement and self worth, and how both worlds (marine and civilian) have to exhibit resilience to find their own self worth and not depend on status to define it (military rank, romantic, or otherwise). At the core, we want to find home in somewhere, someone ...find home within ourselves. 

As a creative person and professional I find home in theatre and live performance, and Dive In Productions has been a very special chapter for me. I met in Marina Altschiller in the summer of 2015 at a cabaret. I did my first show with her in the summer of 2016. Since then, Marina and I have formed a friendship and creative partnership that gotten stronger with every project we take on together. I was very ambitious to ask her to take on an established musical this past spring, and I am so excited we get to take on another big production together. Community and process is such an important thing for the both of us, and I continue to be impressed and touched by the group of lovely folks we have the honor & pleasure of working with - and those who have stuck with us for 2 or 3 shows now! I am grateful for the performers, creative souls, and theatre-lovers for taking “a chance” on an up-and-coming theatre company combined with a show that does not get done in our local theatre community. 

Thank you, all of you, for diving into this process with us and entrusting us to share this story with you! 

Hope it’s Some Kinda Time! 

Jordan Formichelli