By Marcy Stamper
An affecting drama that weaves together the eloquent words of three writers about their World War II experiences comes to The Merc Playhouse this Memorial Day weekend.
Poet and playwright Cindy Williams Gutiérrez blended the writings of two poets, William Stafford and Lawson Inada, and memoirist Guy Gabaldón, to create “Words that Burn: A Dramatization of WWII Experiences of William Stafford, Lawson Inada, and Guy Gabaldón in Their Own Words.” Williams Gutiérrez has long been interested in the parallels and contrasts — and the historical lessons — of their experiences.
Although all three writers have a connection to the war, they are from different generations and backgrounds. Stafford was 28 during the war and Gabaldón was 18, while Inada was just 4. William Stafford was imprisoned during the war as a conscientious objector and Inada was interned along with other Japanese-Americans.
“Stafford and Inada were both in camps in WWII — one because of what he believes in, and the other because of what others believed about him,” said Williams Gutiérrez.
Gabaldón grew up in a Mexican-immigrant family in Los Angeles and lived for some time with close friends in a Japanese family, where he learned to speak Japanese. He volunteered to serve in WWII and, despite initially being found too short to qualify, he was ultimately selected because his language skills made him so valuable, said Williams Gutiérrez.
The play consists entirely of language by Stafford, Inada and Gabaldón. “I gave myself permission to weave, cut and paste, and repeat — but not change” their poetry and prose, said Williams Gutiérrez. “They enter each other’s stories and become characters to bring the stories to life.”
“Just to use language — that’s what this play’s about. In some way, they all used language to discover liberation in the camps, and in combat,” she said.
Williams Gutiérrez created the play in conjunction with Stafford’s centennial and the 70th anniversary of the rescinding of the executive order interning Japanese-Americans. It was produced at the Milagro Theatre in Portland in 2014 and won the 2017 Oregon Book award for drama.
Williams Gutiérrez splits her time between the Methow Valley and Portland and writes with a group of poets here. “One reason I wanted to bring the play here is because Stafford’s presence is so deeply felt throughout the valley,” said Williams Gutiérrez. Stafford wrote a series of poems about the Methow, many of which appear on plaques throughout the area.
In conjunction with the presentation of “Words that Burn,” Williams Gutiérrez has been conducting a poetry workshop through Methow Arts with sophomores and juniors at Liberty Bell High School. Focusing on empathy, the students wrote poems to a stranger, and then, in that person’s voice, wrote a second poem in response.
Students have been very creative, writing poems to family members, fictional characters, animals, political figures, and even abstractions like time, said Williams Gutiérrez. The students will also attend a special matinee performance of “Words that Burn.”
The original Portland cast and director bring their production of “Words that Burn” to The Merc on Friday and Saturday (May 26 and 27) at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for those 18 and under and $16 for adults, with reserved seating available for $2 extra at www.mercplayhouse.org. Because of the theme of war, the play may not be suitable for children younger than high school age.
Winthrop resident John Roth, a scholar of the Holocaust and human rights, will moderate a discussion immediately following the play.
