Media - excerpts

"From the grainy photographs of war protest signs and campus demonstrations to the tie-dye T-shirts and bell-bottom jeans, the opening moments of "Peace Crimes: The Minnesota Eight vs. The War" instantly transport the audience in time to the waning years of the 1960s . ...Baizley's play provides a kaleidoscope of opinions on the actions and beliefs of the Minnesota Eight. There's the mother who supports her son's anti-war stance but wants him to seek a plea bargain rather than go to prison. There's the procession of witnesses testifying on their behalf. At the other end of the spectrum, there's the Selective Service office worker who feels only shock and violation at the destruction." Lisa Brock, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The play itself is rich with historical information presented in a variety of ways. Historical documents place the audience in the midst of the Vietnam era. Pictures of Kent State, draft cards, American and Vietnamese soldiers, and the U of M campus flash across the stage and add nuance to the plot. The play evokes a tension between the “flower power” and “radical action” perspectives among protesters. Take, for example, a moment when the jarring song “Break on Through,” by the Doors, interrupts the Mamas and the Papas’ wistful tune “California Dreamin’. These devices help develop some of the play’s central questions, still relevant today. What does it mean to protest? Is non-violent resistance treason, or can it be patriotic? What is the most effective vehicle for change? ...The plot is engaging...it takes the audience through tumultuous events that are still relevant today. Lisa Peterson De La Cueva, Twin Cities Daily Planet

"What made their story so fascinating, Baizley said, "was what straight and respectable kids they were. The Minnesota Eight didn't come from the outlaw element. They were solid, high-achieving, middle-class boys with good reputations. Some of the guys told me they didn't even know how to swear until they went to prison!...Baizley drew on Kroncke's memoir, the court records, news accounts and the long memories of the members of the Minnesota Eight. "The activists tried to put the legitimacy of the war itself on trial," she said, "but the courts were having none of that. Still, there are these eloquent speeches by Bill (Tilton), Frank (Kroncke) and the others in the court testimony that are simply amazing?...What stands out about the story is that the Minnesota Eight were protesting a war they believed to be illegitimate," she said. "One can easily draw similarities between Vietnam and the present-day war in Iraq?" Doris Baizley interviewed by Bill Stieger, The Villager (St. Paul, MN)

"The reason we're doing this play is that it's about peace, protest and patriotism...There is a price you pay for speaking out. It's surprising how much we haven't learned about the past." ... A patron wrote that she would never again set foot inside the St. Paul theater, so offensive was the drama based on Vietnam War protesters who had raided draft boards across the state. She had been a secretary in the St. Paul office and felt terrorized by the 1970 event. Peluso...passed along the note to playwright Doris Baizley..."We get a little of the secretary's point of view now," said Peluso, who indicated he's uncertain whether she'll come back for a look at "Peace Crimes: The Minnesota Eight vs. The War"...This one sparks really angry discussion on both sides. It feels like one of the more important things we've done." Graydon Royce, Minneapolis Star Tribune

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