Stage Review : A Mind’s Troubled Journey to Vietnam, Agent Orange

John has been poisoned by Agent Orange while in Vietnam, but not as a soldier. Now back in the States and spending his days in a center for the disabled, he searches his damaged mind for the events that brought him to this.

What happened to John is at the hub of Larry McCauley’s creative but rough “Beyond the Orange Sky,” now in a premiere production at Illusion’s New View Theatre in Fullerton. In what amounts to a whodunit and whydunit, “Orange Sky” attempts to take us into John’s head as he tries to assemble the details into a cohesive whole.

It’s a troubled, disjointed journey. Through fits and starts, we learn that John headed to Vietnam during the war to save his brother, who had discovered that a black-market ring was being run by his commanding officer. John’s exposure to Agent Orange, the cancer-causing defoliant, is an act of revenge, not the daily passive contamination of many veterans.

Raising the Agent Orange issue can lead to certain expectations. At first, I felt a little cheated that McCauley did not face it more directly. We could use a solid play that probes the continuing impact on veterans and our country’s response to their pain.

But after a while, I became more sympathetic to “Orange Sky’s” point of view. McCauley shows originality in using Vietnam as a focus for something other than a scrutiny of the era’s failed policies. Although he engages in a little moralizing--for instance, a scientist commits suicide when learning that his newest assignment is designing nuclear arms--McCauley is more inclined to keeping this a detective story.

“Orange Sky’s” problems are elsewhere. Mainly, there are big gaps in the play’s logic (for one, would John have been killed immediately by his extensive exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical known to strip jungles bare in short order?) and other elements that are too contrived. The most obvious device is Andrew, an angel (devil?) who arrives early on to escort John’s soul.

John is on the list for Heaven, but it turns out that Andrew has arrived early: John has not died yet.

While trying to make things right, Andrew somehow gets sucked into John’s consciousness and cannot escape until everything is revealed concerning John’s relationship with his brother and their experiences in Vietnam.

Andrew serves a useful purpose--providing comic relief and, most important, the necessary narrative to keep it all from getting overly confusing. But his role is too gimmicky; McCauley should find a more graceful way to clarify things.

In fact, “Orange Sky” has a “Twilight Zone” edge to it that, while initially intriguing, weakens it in the end, primarily because it seems so contrary to the play’s generally serious, realistic nature.

Director James Johnson’s challenge here is keeping “Orange Sky” from becoming too obtuse, which is no minor task. He does it reasonably well but has not licked the problem of merging the many scenes--some in the present, others in the past--smoothly enough.

His cast is consistent and capable, especially Robert Blankenship, who displays John’s complex personality with some agility. Moving from a severely injured victim to an optimistic, even smug young man, all within seconds, requires resourcefulness, and Blankenship has it.

Despite its flaws, “Orange Sky” is just the type of work that makes such theaters as Illusion’s New View so valuable, especially in Orange County. Forums where writers can take gambles and introduce fresh pieces are vital.

With this in mind, the news that the troupe’s tiny playhouse, which has staged several new plays in recent months, may be forced to close because of declining attendance is more than a little distressing.

‘BEYOND THE ORANGE SKY’

An Illusion’s New View Theatre production of Larry McCauley’s drama. Directed by James Johnson. With Robert Blankenship, Walter Brown, Julie Haraughty, Marci-Ann Schmidt, Andrew Lowery, Glen Meek, Larry McCauley and Steve Scholl. Set and lighting by Jeffrey D. Ault. Sound by Steve Wilber. Plays Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. through June 4 at 3030 N. Brea Blvd., Fullerton. Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors. Information: (714) 990-9605.