“Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret” — a one-act play written by Ret. Lt Col Scott Mann after 23 years serving in the Army, 18 of them as a Green Beret — makes the last stop on its national tour with performances at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara on Saturday and Sunday.
“Last Out” is performed by a cast of four combat veterans, including Mann, and a military family member who each play multiple roles.
In the play, three ‘operators’ from Valhalla are executing a mission to help protagonist Danny Patton let go of what’s holding him in purgatory so he can ascend to Valhalla.
Scott wrote “Last Out” as a way to inform civilians of the true cost of war, not just for soldiers, but the families back home, and to highlight the stigma surrounding post-traumatic stress (PTS).
Without being politically divisive, the play shows the inner workings of our 18-year war in Iraq and Afghanistan from the standpoint of those who serve and are tasked with forming deep bonds with Afghan locals.
Mann shared some insight about the play before its Santa Barbara shows.
How did writing about your experiences as a Green Beret become a play?
As Green Berets, we spend a lot of time communicating and storytelling on a life-and-death stage in low-trust, high-stakes environments. My mentor Bo Eason, a former NFL player, wrote a one-person show about his journey into the NFL.
He encouraged me to write my own play. We did a reading at open mic night in Florida. It brought the house down, and “Last Out” came alive.
How did the tour develop?
I look back at 2019 and ask myself how did we go from one performance in a rented [hotel] ballroom to a production that has traveled to 14 cities, been performed for thousands of people, and been featured on CBS News and “Today with Tom Brokaw”?
We were a small nonprofit created by my wife and me that became a production company.
What do you think audiences will find interesting about the production?
This play is a 95-minute, white-knuckle ride. It runs the gamut of combat, and military life for families who wait for their loved ones to return.
Green Beret Sergeant Danny Patton gets killed and is trying to ascend to Valhalla. His buddies who reside there come down and take him from through moments when he joined the special forces, met his wife, their child was born, and deployment after deployment following 9/11.
This play is based on true stories. Some of it is autobiographical, but it also tells the story of Green Berets who did not come home.
The simplicity and elegance of our sets: We use actors’ blocks and a beautifully adorned Wall of Honor. The actors’ blocks become three-wheel Jeeps, ammo bunkers, and a living room chair.
We use storytelling and imagination to move back and forth between Danny’s firebase in Afghanistan and his living room.
What we hear most often is that the audience finds themselves in the story even when they didn’t serve in the military.
What is one scene that communicates what the audience will experience visually and emotionally?
Toward the end of the play, Danny is forced to watch, from purgatory, as his wife sees a news broadcast about a helicopter that is shot down.
This is an actual news story. As the reporter [speculates] on who might have been killed in the worst helicopter crash in post-9/11 history, Danny’s wife starts to lose control.
There is no dialogue, just the emotional spiral we see her go through as the reporter ponders the fate of the fallen. This speaks volumes to the pain our military family members go through every day while the rest of the world moves on, oblivious to their sacrifice.
What else would you like to share with readers about this production?
Before every show, we honor Gold Star families. We bring the Gold Star families up to the Wall of Honor, which is a major prop in our play. They place a totem from the life of their loved one on the wall and tell us a story about them.
From that point forward, we honor them and keep the memory of their loved one alive.
How many are in your cast and crew?
Four in the cast and 13 on our team, including a light and sound crew, heavy logistics effort, and two certified counselors to do post-traumatic stress (PTS) interventions when necessary.
What happens when a PTS intervention is needed?
Because three cast members are combat veterans, we recognize the elements of post-traumatic stress in real-time. We have a counselor in the audience and one in the lobby.
If one of our team members sees an audience member triggered, which doesn’t happen often, we’ll connect them with one of our counselors, who are implementing some of the most cutting edge PTS protocols.
Warriors who have been through trauma are dented, not broken. It is incumbent on us to look for ways to help get our warriors and their families back in the game.
What is your goal for veterans, military family members and civilians who see the play?
Our purpose for this play is to inform political leaders, media and citizens on the impact of modern war, validate the journey of combat and the sacrifice made by our warriors and their families, connect communities around this very hard topic, and heal those who have been through combat by providing an opportunity to let go of the pain. Inform, validate, connect, heal.
The New Vic Theatre is at 33 W. Victoria St. in Santa Barbara.
Purchase tickets online or call: 805.965.5400. Tickets are $30; veterans get $10 off.
Local arts critic Judith Smith-Meyer is a round-the-clock appreciator of the creative act.