An original play in the modern manner, I Hate War is labeled "farcical tragedy" because each scene contains both a laugh and a tear...just as life today is a million laughs one moment and a bucketful of tears the next. And the same event which makes one person laugh makes another cry. This play moves rapidly, as life in our time moves rapidly.

Taking its title from Franklin D. Roosevelt's favorite disclaimer as America was entering World War II, this play shows one reason why people are violent. When the play begins, Socrates Blunderbuss is a sweet little toddler. He likes to see-saw and play dolls with the little girl next door. PLAY DOLLS! His father explodes and buys Socky a gun and teaches him that shooting is fun. Socky learns fast and shoots anything that moves—red birds, people, Santa Claus. Influenced by his environment, Socky passes into other violent aspects of our civilization and finally grows up to become...what?—a dropout, or a success? A bum, or a hero? Does America punish or reward its violent citizens? A powerful but humorous commentary on our civilization.

The play is episodic, the episodes flowing together to delineate the development of human character. Even though the tiny fraction of time between some of the episodes represents the passage of several years, we see the interrelation of events. What happens tomorrow grows out of what happens today, grows out of what happened yesterday, grows out of...grows out of... We can never throw an event away or pretend it didn't happen. At the beginning of the play Socrates is a sweet, loving, lovable little boy. He has become the opposite of all these things by the end of the play, molded by his environment—an environment in which parents, friends, football fans, even the Government applaud violence, reward violence, create violent people.

Recommended for all groups. It is an especially powerful contest play. Ideal for experimenting with multi-media effects and new styles of lighting, I Hate War relates to our time in both content and manner of presentation. A Director's Script (prompt book) is available from the publisher. It contains drawings of costumes and set, details on all technical aspects of staging, discussion of characterization, plot, and theme. It also suggests the complete blocking and full stage directions for all movement and business.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed 'I Hate War.' The actors feel that it makes a statement about truths... It was fun to do another play of yours. Seems it is becoming a habit...your plays really work on stage."—Marion, Virginia. "We have decided to produce 'I Hate War,' which was my favorite play from the beginning. I look forward to doing this funny and thought-provoking play."—Matt Kennedy, Cupertino, Calif., H. S.

See also: Plays About Death and War, Plays About Personal Relationships