“The MQ-9 Reaper,” says the United States Air Force’s online spec sheet, “is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic execution targets.” In short, it’s a military drone—a plane with the ability not only to spy on enemy targets from a great and lofty distance but also to obliterate them at the touch of a button, with the Hellfire missiles it carries under its wings. Its lack of cockpit glass making it look, ironically, like one of those cave-dwelling fish that never develop eyes, the Reaper (just consider that name!) has become the stuff of conspiracy theories, constitutional disputes, ethical conundrums, and profound national ambivalence. It certainly drives the sole character in George Brant‘s Grounded to distraction.
At least for a while. The Pilot lets us know that she thought her grounding would be temporary. But by the time she’s ready to resume her duties, the F-16 is a thing of the past. The air war in Afghanistan is being prosecuted by drones like the Reaper, whose movements are controlled by officers watching computer monitors and operating joysticks back in the United States. Rather than head back into the blue, our Pilot is assigned to a drone base located in the Mojave Desert, a couple hours outside of Las Vegas. She understands that the job is a good practical solution for her and her family, since she can, as she says, kiss Samantha good-bye in the morning, go to war, and get back to her snug Vegas home in time for dinner. But the arrangement gets to her all the same.
Through 7/13: Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 2:30 PM Greenhouse Theater Center 2257 N. Lincoln 773-404-7336americanbluestheater.com $19-$49
