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In one of the most shocking moments in Embedded, a hugely popular satire written, directed, and produced by Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins, a group of journalists set to cover the American invasion of an oil-rich country called Gomorrah are made to stand in line and listen to an army officer bully them into submission.
The drill sergeant makes them repeat: "Sir, I am a maggot journalist, sir!"
In the play, Robbins, who doesn't appear in the show, focuses on a group of super advisers to the president who work overtime to create justification for the invasion.
Robbins and his partner, the Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, are among the most vocal opponents of most of American foreign policy and have led demonstrations against the Iraq war.
The play, Embedded, which ran in a small theatre in Los Angeles for six months, is now being shown in another small theatre (about 300 seats) in New York. Like in Los Angeles, it has received mixed reviews in New York even from the liberal press. Some have accused Robbins of preaching to the 'choir'.
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"I don't know what they mean by preaching to the converted or to the choir," said Robbins, who appeared at the Newman Theatre recently after the show, with fellow leftist, novelist and admirer Kurt Vonnegut, best-known for his anti-war novel Slaughterhouse Five.
"There are an awful number of liberals and Democrats who voted for the war against Iraq," said Robbins, seeking to dispel the notion that liberals and Democrats are packing the show. "And then there are many Republicans who do not like the way their party is running the government or dealing with terrorism."
Richard A Clarke could be one of those who might see the show for its anti-war stance. The controversial author of the book, Against All Enemies, Clarke also argues that by plunging America into a war against Iraq Bush has depleted American morale and resources needed to fight the real Al Qaeda elsewhere. Clarke was anti-terrorism adviser to several presidents, including George W Bush and his father.
"Dick Clarke is not a lefty by any means," Robbins said. "He might like this play."
A viewer asked Robbins if he was not afraid of the government backlash, as there has been "a serious erosion" of the First Amendment and the government is hitting at its critics.
"That's an illusion," Robbins said with a broad smile, referring to the backlash concern. "In fact, I've had a pretty good year."
Apart from the success of Embedded, Robbins's performance as a murder suspect who was sexually abused as a child in Mystic River got him his first Oscar. Robbins and his wife have, of course, received a tremendous amount of criticism and been called 'unpatriotic' because of their politics. But they are used to it.
While few critics have cheered the play, heavyweight writers like Gore Vidal and filmmakers, including Robert Altman, have offered blurbs. "Embedded is very funny, if funny is the word," declared Altman. "And if you want to see the next act, turn on the news." The show has been extended twice, and though the final curtain in New York is set for April 25, there could be yet another extension.
Vonnegut moaned how the president, who is also the commander-in-chief, has not been taking care of his soldiers. He has been recklessly sending them to fight wars, he implied.
"The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive," Vonnegut, who is 81, said with a wry smile, "when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would be named Bush, Dick and Colon [Colin Powell]."
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