Review: ‘Private Jones’’ Tale of a Deaf WWI Soldier Offers a Fresh Riff on Well-Worn War Stories
Marshall Pailet’s musical, making its world premiere at Signature Theatre, covers a lot of ground and packs a punch that—with time and fine tuning—will only get stronger.
By D.R. Lewis
February 26, 2024
This review originally appeared in Washington City Paper.
Just three stops from the Pentagon on the 7A Metrobus, a new soldier has arrived in Arlington. Written and directed by Marshall Pailet, Private Jones is a musical enjoying its world premiere at Signature Theatre through March 10. But while military types might be a common sight in Shirlington and the surrounding environs, Private Jones offers a fresh riff on well-worn war stories, narrowing its focus to the experiences of a deaf soldier at the peak of World War I.
Loosely inspired by the true story of its namesake, Private Jones follows Welsh teen Gomer Jones (Johnny Link) as his attempts to join the British Army at the onset of the First World War are thwarted because he’s deaf. Discouraged by watching so many of his friends and neighbors join the fight, he eventually befriends a nurse, Gwenolyn (Leanne Antonio), who teaches him British Sign Language and introduces him to a community of deaf and hard-of-hearing patriots who support the war effort by operating a munitions factory. With Gwenolyn’s assistance, Gomer eventually is able to enlist, joining a second-string battalion and leveraging the sharpshooting skills he learned as a boy to become a prolific sniper in the trenches. But as he transitions from a sensitive boy to a hardened killing machine, Gomer is forced to confront his hunger for vengeance and indifference to the value of life.
If that sounds like a lot of grounds to cover, it is. And at two and a half hours, Private Jones dutifully employs many of the themes and conventions that are hallmarks of both war-genre media and traditional musical comedy, occasionally to its detriment. For instance, the inclusion of a nice but unnecessary romantic plotline involving Gomer, Gwenolyn, and arrogant soldier Edmund (Vincent Michael) is responsible for at least one major ballad, but not much else.
Additionally, Private Jones struggles to establish a consistent, reliable tone. Initially signaling that its audience is in for the kind of sepia-stained storytelling akin to War Horse or Band of Brothers, the tone rapidly shifts to irreverence and, often, vulgarity when Gomer struggles to enlist in the army and find his place in the world. While the whiplash is confusing, the resulting songs and sequences are, thankfully, charming enough to overcome such a shift.
Once it’s fully transitioned to a gritty battlefield romp, however, Private Jones is able to settle into its stride, thanks in large part to an excellent cadre of endearing supporting characters. And when the frontlines suddenly become deadly and the horrors of war become inevitably apparent, another sudden departure from such underdog feistiness is awfully effective. But even in this dramatic homestretch, when Pailet has the potential to deliver his compassionate message most clearly, a few lengthy musical numbers slow the action to a crawl, even while showcasing the talents of their strong performers.
Regardless, this world premiere is a very encouraging foray from Pailet. Given the challenges, though, one wonders if the musical would further benefit from the eye of a different director to help tighten the story to its most essential components. If Private Jones packs a punch now (and it does), it surely holds the potential for a much bigger wallop.
Still, Pailet’s directorial aptitude is on full display with the support of a top-notch creative team. The confluence of staging, choreography (by Misha Shields, lovely), and incorporation of both British and American Sign Language (by Alexandria Wailes, exceptional) makes for a deeply moving, engaging theatergoing experience. The creative use of props to perform foley sound effects (Eric Norris), with umbrellas standing in for birds and a winch to signal the loading of Gomer’s rifle, add exciting visualizations to enhance the soundscape. Scenic designers Christopher and Justin Swader’s flexible set allows the action to move seamlessly between locales, and an overhead canopy of vintage propaganda posters are at once the dense forest of Gomer’s native shire and the looming threat of impending battlefire. Phương Nguyễn’s straightforward, respectable costume design successfully evokes the period and never allows the occasional gender swapping to look silly.
Alongside Wailes, video designer Patrick W. Lord and lighting designer Jen Schriever stand out in their contributions. Through the use of open captioning on the sides of the stage and direct projection onto the set, Lord is able to underscore pivotal moments in Gomer’s story. Schriever uses stark, rhythmic flashes of light to illustrate Gomer’s sniping method. Her use of muted blues conjures the haziness of lowlight trenches, making the flashes of bright whites all the more striking when they pierce the darkness.
And just as Pailet calls on his designers to pull off the very strong technical aspects of the production, he has enlisted a tight cast of performers to tell this story, be it with their voices or their hands. Link, Antonio, and Michael all give admirable performances. As the Storyteller, Amelia Hensley is unwaveringly captivating, whether she is expertly signing or maneuvering a puppet of a wounded dog (designed by Nicholas Mahon) with heartbreaking tenderness. And as King, a bombastic young soldier whose service as Gomer’s spotter is far more successful than his supposed sexual conquests, Erin Weaver is an unconquerable force. While she exudes toxic masculinity in her hilarious portrayal of the randy young soldier, her performance never becomes caricature; rather, just behind every crude remark lies the palpable fear of a deeply insecure young man.
It’s awfully hard to imagine that this world premiere performance will be the last action Private Jones sees. Clearly a labor of Pailet’s love for Gomer’s story, the musical certainly holds the potential to advance farther in the ranks with additional fine-tuning. Still, where the musical marches off to next remains to be seen. But with a strong showing, it seems likely that Private Jones will see more theaters (of war?). They just probably won’t be so close to the Pentagon.
Private Jones, written and directed by Marshall Pailet, was originally scheduled to close on March 10, but it has been extended through March 17 at Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org. $58–$99. Open and closed captions are available at every performance. Closed captions available via the free GalaPro app. A number of ASL interpreted performances are scheduled throughout the run.
Johnny Link (Gomer Jones) and the cast of Private Jones at Signature Theatre through March 10; Credit: Daniel Rader