Sun. Dec. 9

Last call today!

Call me ignorant - trust me, it's happened - but I often like to walk into a play knowing a little, but not a lot, about what's going to happen. Approaching, David Rabe's "Streamers," up at the Huntington Theatre through Dec. 9. I knew it was set in 1965, as the Vietnam War was building and tensions doing the same. I knew it concerned a group of soldiers, both prepping and fretting about what might well lie ahead. But I thought the play, written in 1976, would center around the impending Conflict. It did not. It centers around the conflict that takes place in the barracks before any of them get a chance to experience the hell of 'Nam. (Well, they do talk about diabolical Viet Cong traps they've heard about and a blustery sergeant who's been there relates a story about getting shot in the arse and his eventual revenge.) "Streamers" - the word refers to paratroopers whose chutes don't open - concerns homosexuality, race, class, bravado, and a lot of alcohol. The tension inside the bare barracks may symbolize the tension in the outside world. The three bunk mates are from different strata of American society. Richie (Hale Appleman) is gay, clever and flamboyant in his way; Roger (J.D. Williams, who was featured in two of our fave HBO shows, "Oz" and "The Wire") is black, ingratiating and alternately quiet and talkative; Billy (Brad Fleischer) is a midwestern kid who fears the snakes of Vietnam and can barely believe Richie really might be gay. He thinks he might possibly just be effeminite. Carlysle (Ato Essendoh) is the crazy black dude who rocks their world, in good ways and bad. He's on perpetual KP duty, and he crashes into the barracks (and their lives) like a ball of flame. At times, you think he's quite mad, but oddly charming; and then, you see the self-obssession and violent impulses and find him just mad. In fact, all the characters have complexities about them, constantly twisting our perceptions about who's right and who's wrong. There's more humor in "Streamers" than you might exepct - it's just jolt after jolt - but don't expect to leave the theater whistling a happy tune. Well, it's war time, dammit. Although, come to think of it ... aren't we at war now and isn't everbody's main issue ... Christmas shopping? Tickets:$75-$15. It's closes this weekend with a Saturday show at 8 and a Sunday matinee at 2.

264 Huntington Ave., 617-266-0800 www.huntingtontheatre.org