The Vietnamization of New Jersey; A American Tragedy | |
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Written by | Christopher Durang |
Date premiered | January 28, 1977 |
Place premiered | The Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut |
The Vietnamization of New Jersey (subtitled "A American Tragedy" [sic]) is a 1976 play written by American playwright Christopher Durang.
The play was written on commission from the Yale Repertory Theatre[1] as a parody of the Tony Award-winning 1971 David Rabe play Sticks and Bones.[2] The play also sends up the 1950s American TV series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (as did Sticks and Bones[2]), with characters named "Ozzie Ann", "Harry" and "Et" serving as the mother, father and son of the play's central family.[3] The play's title refers to the Richard Nixon administration's "Vietnamization" policy of training and supporting the South Vietnamese military while reducing the presence of U.S. troops in Vietnam.