What's It Good For: 'Honey Brown Eyes' Looks at War

WHEN NEW YORK playwright Stephanie Zadravec was penning "Honey Brown Eyes," she thought it felt a little stiff.

Set in 1992 Bosnia during the war in the Balkans, the play follows a Serbian soldier (Alexander Strain) and a Muslim resistance fighter (Joel Reuben Ganz) as they come to grips with their respective relationships amid the chaos of wartime.

So how did Stephanie, a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, get inspired? She turned to Fugazi.

After a friend gave her a CD of Bosnian punk rock, she was reminded of her own teenage years in the heart of D.C.'s punk scene, and started crafting two young characters coming from opposing ends of a war, yet with deep parallels.

The follow-up to her off-Broadway dark comedy, "The Fear Project," "Honey Brown Eyes" is an intimate look at the unlikely relationships that develop between the soldiers, those who house them and each other.

» EXPRESS: What's it like bringing this production to your hometown?
» ZADRAVEC I grew up going to Folger and Arena stages. It's a real thrill being here in such a strong theater town. People are aware here, and it's a wonderful place for a play like this.

» EXPRESS: This isn't your typical wartime play.
» ZADRAVEC You can see a play about war and you can feel really preached to. This is a story about people that happens to be set during the war. You don't have to know about the Bosnian war to see the play. It can be taking place in Iraq, in World War II. There's a little edge to the play — there's a laugh track during a scene where a gun is held to a head. It shows the ridiculousness and in an absurd way how profoundly twisted war is.

» EXPRESS: What is the relationship between the two main characters?
» ZADRAVEC They grew up together, and they don't know what's happened to each other. ... Deep down they're kids who are out trying to save their civilization and fight for a cause. It becomes more than the individual can bear.

» EXPRESS: Why did you choose to have the action take place in two kitchens?
» ZADRAVEC I started reading personal accounts of people in their homes. Those details fascinated me rather than, "This is the battle where 8,000 people died." Violence and longing can provide really, really intimate things.

» D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW; through Nov. 30, $20-$42; 800-494-8497.

Written by Express contributor Robyn Mincher
Photo courtesy DCJCC