The War Machine

The War Machine
The War Machine is a 1921 play written and produced by Tony Stark, co-created by James Rhodes who also served as consultant. It's his biggest success to date and it was featured for three years on the stages of Stark Hall. Openly inspired by the first World War, it caused an uproar with its raw approach and hard critics to the country's sugar coating of the war. Part horror, part tragedy, it was heavily inspired by the large amount of soldiers who came back home mutilated.

The biggest and most expensive production of Stark Hall so far, it also featured a prominent black man closely involved with the production, much to the dismay of conservative segments of society. It has strong and sharp monologues to compensate its main character, who spends almost the whole play inside of a heavy armor that covers his face. It's a very heavy and introspective play who also rely on innovative stage tricks and special effects brought from the overseas.

It was based on relates of war from private James Rhodes.

Plot
Jack Walker is a man dedicated to his country. He believes in freedom, justice and democracy and he believes all people have a right to live in a free country. He believes that so much he enrolls on the war to bring justice overseas. As the war rages on, Jack tries to survive to the best of his abilities, always keeping his faith in what's supposedly right.

But the death toll keeps growing and the war keeps going and Jack slowly turns himself into a machine - a war machine - to better fight the war. At first he's satisfied with the results but as he becomes more and more robotic to win the war he loses himself - the man. There are several monologues about the necessity of war to society, the endless cycle of creation and destruction and human nature. At the end, he wins. But he's not human anymore. And fighting is the only thing he knows, the only thing he has as a war machine. So he starts another war and everyone gets involved again.

Because deep down, we're all war machines.

Cast
James Rhodes as Sgt. Jack Walker

Critical Response
The response to War Machine was mostly positive. Most shallow viewers are attracted to the visual show the play puts on. The monologues were also praised for their relevancy in post war years. The few bad reviews criticized the involvement of the now famous James Rhodes, one of the few black main characters to step in a big stage. Some pro-war organizations also put on a few protests, but The War Machine remains the highest grossing play of Stark Hall's story.