Trinity Hosts Tim Robbins' Satire

When news of the war on Iraq first broke, many politically conscious artists who opposed our government's decision to invade Iraq felt it was necessary to create art that was more than art for art's sake; they created art that encouraged its audience to hold a critical view of our government and its decision making processes and, if successful, motivated people to work for change. The Actor's Gang's performance of the piece "Embedded" in the Goodwin Theater at the Austin Arts Center on December 4th to a sold-out audience is one of the more popular examples of the politically conscious/critical theatrical work that has been inspired by the war in Iraq. In "Embedded," writer/director Tim Robbins questions the motivations behind the U.S.'s involvement in Iraq and the media coverage of the war by "embedded" reporters.An "embedded" journalist travels with a military unit in order to get a closer, more involved perspective on the war. The reporter is not only traveling with the unit, but he or she is provided with all the same basic services a soldier receives and is also given special military survival training. For all intents and purposes, they are a member of the military unit. While this position within the military can give reporters the front-line eye for war coverage, the fact that they are embedded in a military unit ruins their objectivity and ability to see the bigger picture of war.

In the program, The Actor's Gang includes many different perspectives on the process of "embedding" in their notes. One quote that was included was from Orange County Register columnist, Gordon Dillow, a journalist who admitted that his embedment made it nearly impossible for him to be objective: "Well I couldn't look anybody in the eye and say, 'Hey, I'm being completely objective,' because I liked and respected these guys. I called them 'my Marines.' I lived with these guys... I don't see how anybody can do it. That's what editors are for - to make sure that your copy comes out objective."

"Embedded" takes place from October 2002 to June 2003 and cuts back and forth between three different perspectives: soldiers fighting in the war, the reporters embedded in it, and the political think-tank that's calling all the shots. It begins with three soldiers saying their sentimental goodbyes to their loved ones before being shipped off to war and then quickly shifts to the board meeting of the grotesquely masked think-tank comprised of absurd doppelgangers of the United States' real political masterminds with amusing spin-off names like Rum-Rum, Gondola, and Pearly White. This political group, responsible for the decision to declare war on Iraq, is comprised of followers of the neoconservative philosopher-king Leo Strauss, who believed that the masses were stupid and the elite intelligentsia must tell "noble lies" to these ignorant masses in order to keep this country prosperous.

"Embedded" is not the kind of show that lays everything on the table and lets you decide for yourself. It has an agenda and it sticks to it. It wants to show you that media embedded in the war is not objective fact-finding journalism, but instead a puppet of the government: a government that lies to you because it believes that you are too stupid to understand what's best for your country. And it succeeds in relaying both messages.

"Embedded" spends most of its energy preaching to the choir. Robbins is well known for his politics; the audiences that attend his shows, for the most part, know about his anti-war stance, agree with him, and are expecting those shared views to come through in his art. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing inherently wrong with preaching to the choir. But the point of preaching is to effect change. Preachers don't exist solely to convert the unbelieving, they are there for the believers. They are there to work with those who share their dream of making the world a better place. What good is a preacher who only speaks of fire and brimstone with no hope or plan for redemption?

The title of "Embedded" is apt, for in many ways, it is the piece's precise problem. It is too embedded in the problems it finds with the war in Iraq to see any solutions in sight. While it's not fair to demand that "Embedded" clearly outlines a plan for world peace, arguing that we shouldn't trust the government or the media isn't exactly a stunning revelation. It's about as worthwhile as standing out in the rain and yelling at people: "We're all getting wet! This sucks!"