dog eat dog

This twenty-minute two hander is set just outside the infamous “Green Zone.” During the Iraq War the American military used this compound as its base for operations both in Baghdad and across Iraq. The road connecting “The Green Zone” and the Baghdad airport, popularly referred to as “Route Irish,” was one of the most dangerous places on Earth throughout the conflict. Policing this major roadway was a constant headache for the US military, only coming to the attention of the American public because it was lethal for the soldiers (and civilians) using the highway. Further, enemies of the US Army used the singularity of the highway against the military, regularly planting IED (Intelligent Explosive Devices) along the route knowing they’d either haphazardly encounter their deadly explosives or while securing the road for military and civilian convoys.

My play concerns two soldiers who are charged with securing the final leg of the highway. A fresh captain learns the ropes of this patrol after the previous commander is sent packing.  A particularly deadly patrol during which several men under his command were killed has spelled the end of an otherwise successful tour for  this soldier who now has to hand the reigns over to a younger, mouthy upstart. But during this exchange the traumatized veteran, nearly turning his back to the “Green Zone” once and for all, is confronted with the past: his childhood pet dog.

Bizarre, funny, and tense, this patrol takes an unexpected turn that leaves both soldiers to redefine the term “hero.”

If you’d like to read the play or find out more please be in touch. The script is on-line but has been password protected.