Two couples’ long-standing friendship is torn apart by their sons’ involvement in the Iraq war. Frank and Joy’s son, Donny, has enlisted and is, subsequently, killed in combat. Andrew and Melanie’s son, Michael, in solidarity with Don, also enlists, but goes AWOL shortly after starting basic training.

Andrew and Mel, caught up in the maelstrom, want only to protect their son. They contrive to keep the news of Michael desertion from Frank and Joy. However, when the truth is revealed, the friends find themselves irrevocably divided. Frank confronts his friends, trying to convince Michael to turn himself over to the military police. Michael responds by setting off with his girlfriend, Karen, on a reckless journey to escape prosecution. While Joy, driven by the loss of her son, and by her perception of America’s indifference to the sacrifice she and others have made, takes a series of progressively confrontational and desperate actions.

Loyalties is a six character, full-length play (performed in two acts), set in 2005 at the height of America’s vaunted ‘War on Terror.’

A young enlisted man from South Carolina is speaking to his mother on the phone in the Atlanta airport. He is 19 or 20 years old and quite thin. His clothes and shoes are worn. There is a deep sadness in his eyes; he has a sweet, haunting smile. The young man speaking in an emotional voice says, “We’re about to board for Oklahoma for training before we move out. I miss you all and love you. I just don’t know how I’ll get through all this.” There are tears in his eyes when he hangs up.

America’s prosecution of the ‘War on Terror’ during these past 8 years has been one of the most divisive issues in our nation since…well, Vietnam. I set out to write a play, not about the politics of the times, but about the human cost of this divisiveness. Wherever you stand on the validity of these wars, it is impossible to deny – a cursory reading of the war dead will tell you -- that it’s our children being asked to make the greatest sacrifice. I wrote ‘Loyalties’ for the young man in Atlanta, and for all the other brave, and frightened, young men and women like him.

- Tony Pasqualini

Loyalties was originally developed at the Ensemble Studio Theatre’s 2008 Winterfest and First Look Series, and was, also, one of four plays chosen for 2008’s Ashland New Plays Festival. Loyalties received its world premiere at the Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, CA., in January 2010.

I have many people to thank for the development of this play: David Gautreaux who has been with me from the start; Marilyn Fox, The Pacific Resident Theatre Co-op; Laura Salvato, The Ensemble Studio Theatre, Ray Xifo, John Nielson and all the actors who have read the piece in various incarnations; Tom Beyer with whom I simply could not have gotten this production up; Terry Davis, Jen Lonsway, Greg Paul, Norman Scott, Erica Ackerman; Sandy Joseph; my incredible cast; and of course my wife of twenty-five unbelievably happy years, Sarah Brooke.

-Tony Pasqualini

Tony Pasqualini