The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
by David Rabe
Awards & Recognition
Winner! 1971 Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Playwright
What readers are saying
Readers appreciate the powerful storytelling and emotional depth of the play. Many highlight its influence on contemporary theatre and the raw depiction of a soldier's experience during training. The character of Hummel resonates strongly, portraying a sense of confusion and despair in a turbulent environment.
Synopsis
On Broadway with Al Pacino in the title role, this drama continues the series of "Vietnam Plays" by the author of Sticks and Bones and Streamers .
A born loser gets drafted into the Army.
Pavlo is not very bright.
He gets high, then drag races into a cop car.
His fecklessness antagonizes his superiors and gets him beaten by his bunk mates.
Pavlo next tries suicide with 100 aspirins, but even at this he is unsuccessful.
Oblivious, Pavlo marches to war and meets his ultimate, preordained destiny: death.
Press Reviews
"Pavlo Hummel is an abstracted existentialist scream of pain at the horror of war and the nearness of death...An abrasive, honest play well worth seeing."
— The New York Times
"It's one of the most moving pieces of theatre I've seen."
— WABC TV
Characters
| Character |
|---|
PAVLOYENARDELLSGT. TOWERCAPTAINKRESSPARKERPIERCECORPORALGRENNELHINKLEBURNSHENDRIXRYANMICKEYMRS. SORRENTINGMRS. HUMMELJONESMAMASANBRISBEYSGT. WALLPARHAM |
Publication
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel is a play written by David Rabe and published by Samuel French (1969).
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Performance Rights
Restrictions: Major Markets Only (US) / Standard Restriction (UK)
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