Urbanite Theatre Presents "Backwards Forwards Back" by Jacqueline Goldfinger

Having the chance to see the first read of a play is always exciting. But having the chance to watch a first read after hearing from the playwright, director, actor and other creatives responsible for bringing those words to life for the very first time is incredible. I had this opportunity with "Backwards Forwards Back" by Jacqueline Goldfinger, a show whose world premiere is being mounted at Urbanite Theatre. It's an afternoon I won't soon forget. 

"Backwards Forwards Back" is a story about a veteran suffering from severe PTSD who undergoes virtual reality (VR) treatment. Goldfinger got the idea to write the play after reading an article about the treatment five years ago. 

The subject of PTSD resonated with the playwright. Goldfinger's grandfather was a lifelong military man. He ran away from home and joined the Air Force when he was 14 years old. He retired almost 80 years later. He was a genial man who loved his family. Yet her grandparents slept separately every night because her grandfather would try to throttle her grandmother in his sleep. The demons were deeply embedded in his psyche. 

When Goldfinger was ready to launch "Backwards Forwards Back" into the world, she considered which theater to approach. Urbanite was at the top of her list. Not every theater is willing to tackle difficult social issues, but that's right in Urbanite's wheelhouse. And the fact that Urbanite is a black box theater -- seating only about 65 audience members -- will lend immediacy to an already intense show. 

After reading the script, Urbanite founders Brendan Ragan and Summer Dawn Wallace were on board. Ragan was keen to direct the one man show, and he knew just the actor for the role, no audition required. Enter L. James, former soldier and graduate of Asolo Rep Conservatory. 

Goldfinger and Ragan look on as James does the first read of the play. 

James joined the Army when he was 21 years old. Two weeks later, the Towers came down. "I had joined the military to get an education," James told the group with a wry laugh. 

James was thankful when his unit was sent to Korea. Five years later -- and just a few days before he was scheduled to get out -- his unit received orders to go to the "sandbox." While James was involved in the preparations for the transfer, he was stateside when his friends and fellow soldiers entered the war. It wasn't long before the losses started mounting. Those who survived came back changed. One close friend returned home but suffered from severe depression and PTSD. His friend turned to drugs as a salve and recently passed away. This role is personal to James. 

In VR therapy, patients don a headset and are thrust back into the environment that caused their trauma. The idea is to relive those experiences in a safe space. It requires bravery -- and, often, desperation -- to subject yourself to this form of therapy. But the results have been promising, and with thousands of soldiers back from Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for effective treatments for PTSD is exploding. To get a sense of what VR therapy is like, click here. 

For the production, Urbanite secured the same type of goggle being used for VR therapy. The play will be visually intense for the audience as well as James as projections show the experiences he is reliving. The show runs under an hour, which all parties feel is the right amount of time for both the actor and the audience. 

As always, there will be talkbacks after the Thursday night performances. A representative from Operation Warrior Resolution will participate. The organization's mission is "to transform veterans to health and wellness and to provide innovative, holistic treatments for mental health to veterans and their family members, alleviating PTSD, anxiety and other mental health-related issues." Not surprisingly, there is a need for these services in our own community. 

Kudos to Goldfinger for tackling this difficult subject and to Urbanite and James for taking it on. "Backwards Forwards Back" will run from March 24-April 23. Click here for tickets.