Rider Students Show They Are No DAMN FOOLS

LAWRENCEVILLE-- Ever wonder what its like to be in the military. Well, playwright Rance Robeson is here to fill you in. Wednesday evening, Anwar's Reflections attended Rider University's staged reading of the play, A Damn Fool. The play was written by Rider senior, Rance Robeson. The show was held in the university's Spitz Theater. In attendance were Rider students, faculty, and other members of the community. The play's cast included students from various  backgrounds. Some from theater, others from the military itself, while others had a background in graphic design. The purpose of the event was to not only give Rider students a much needed break from their school-work as the end of the semester quickly approaches, but the show was also meant to capture a realistic side of what military life is like in some pockets of the world.

Cast members for the play A DAMN FOOL

The play chronicles the day to day lives of soldiers in Iraq. In A Damn Fool, playwright Rance Robeson explores the struggles, disappointments, and deep yearnings our service men and women hold. Yet in the midst of this drama, you also find that soldiers have the ability to hold lighthearted conversations about life.

The play sprinkled both joy and sorrow into its narrative. The play's main character, Nelson, makes it a habit to go to what the military call 'sick call'. Here in sick call soldiers get a chance to rest and recuperate from their psychological or physical wounds. However, by being in sick call, these individuals leave their fellow soldiers shorthanded when it comes to fighting the good fight. Overall, the play is marked by its rich characters, dramatic performances, and unmistakable realism. After the play ended, members of the audience were allowed to ask questions to members of the cast.

Members of the audience were willing to give feedback regarding the play. One audience member, Desiree, a Rider student said the show was great and that she came because her friend was playing the role of Jones. Another audience member, Jason Rater, an actor himself said, that he enjoyed the play because it had a lot of depth to it and because the characters were sharp. He came out to the show because his girlfriend was playing the role of Patel.

Anwar's Reflections will be sure to keep you up to date on any future events at Rider. Below you will find parts of the play on video.

In the first video, we find Capt. Ben and Nelson in a heated exchange of words:

Nelson and Capt. Ben have an exchange of words by anwarsreflections

In the second video, we find Jones, Price, and Nelson engaged in playful banter about music:

Rider students perform in A DAMN FOOL by anwarsreflections

In the third video, we find Nelson sharing his thoughts on being in the military:

Nelson shares his thoughts on being in the... by anwarsreflections