Sixth in a series of season previews: Combat and upheaval, both historical and way out of the box, start off with Civic War epic “The Killer Angels” and echo through battle fronts of two world premieres.

By Lawrence B. Johnson

Lifeline Theatre’s 2013-14 season, bannered as “War and Redemption,” will be played out on large canvases indeed – with opening salvos from the Civil War and the French Revolution. The season boasts two world premiere adaptations and a major component of staged tumult.

First up is a company reprise of “The Killer Angels,” adapted by Karen Tarjan from Michael Shaara’s novelized account of the crucial and deadly Civil War clash between a Confederate Army led by Robert E. Lee and a Northern force that narrowly holds on to prevail at a great cost of life.

Two world premiere adaptations follow: Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities,” a story of personal sacrifice set during the French Revolution, and “Monstrous Regiment,” Terry Pratchett’s novel about a heroic lass in a fictional European country who goes off to war in hope of finding her older brother, who’s missing in action. The tale goes from bizarre to hilarious as our heroine strikes up comradeship with a vampire and a werewolf.

Artistic director Dorothy Milne says history is on Lifeline’s side, and that once again her troupe of actors will provide man (and woman) power enough to soldier through the season’s wars and scourges.

“We do have our battles,” Milne says with a laugh. “We’re known for creating bigger battle scenes than we have actors to use. But we’re also clever at changing coats – actors running off-stage while fighting for one side and running back on wearing the other uniform.”

On a less belllicose note, Lifeline also will present its annual series of three musical plays for children, tales about talking ducks and pigs and a lonely crocodile named Lyle.

The 2013-14 season in brief:

•  “The Killer Angels,” adapted by Karen Tarjan from the novel by Michael Shaara (Sept. 6-Oct. 27): Gettysburg, the summer of 1863, General Robert E. Lee has led the Army of Northern Virginia into the North, with the Army of the Potomac in pursuit. Over the course of three historic days, beside campfires and amidst firefights, soldiers wrestle with their doubts, their fears and their hopes for a shattered nation. Cemetery Hill, Culp’s Hill, Little Round Top, and Pickett’s charge are glimpsed through the stories of the men who fought the legendary battles. Shaara’s novel won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. “This is the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, and we thought it was timely to revisit this very human story of historical fiction,” says Milne. “It was a turning point in history, and throughout these days of battle, we get a fascinating look at the improv nature of war, how unpredictable the opposition is and how victory or defeat can turn on the tiniest points.”
•  “A Tale of Two Cities,” adapted by Christopher M. Walsh from the novel by Charles Dickens (world premiere adaptation, Feb. 14-April 6, 2014): As the Reign of Terror sweeps through Paris, destroying both the high-born and low, two Londoners are confronted with impossible choices. Will former aristocrat Charles Darnay abandon his family and enter the revolutionary storm to protect an innocent man? And can depressive barrister Sydney Carton find the strength to make the ultimate sacrifice for the unrequited love of his life? It is a tale social upheaval, moral self-examination and redemption in a churn of bloody revolution. “It’s one of the most famous and beloved novels ever written, and quite something to put on the stage,” says Milne. “While it fits our war theme, it’s essentially a story of young lovers and personal sacrifice, and people acting out of vengeance. It’s also a stunning look at the indiscriminate wrath and chaos that war brings. You can get ground under its wheels, and yet everyone wants to survive. It’s all still with us today – the war, the subterfuge, the possibility of getting caught up in something horrific through no fault of your own.”
• “Monstrous Regiment,” adapted by Chris Hainsworth from the novel by Terry Pratchett (world premiere adaptation, May 30-July 20, 2014):  The fictional country of Borogravia is at war. When Polly Perks’ brother goes missing in action, she begins a personal search, which means gaining access to the battle front – which means cutting her hair, stuffing a sock down the front of her breeches, and enlisting. But Polly soon realizes that everyone in her squad is protecting a secret and that nothing in this improbable war is as it seems. Scrambling to survive both enemy assaults and the stupidity of an untried commander, her misfit company makes its way to the front, where revelations comes as fast and thick as bullets. It’s a comical take on the absurdities of war, to say nothing of the ambiguities of identity. “The army includes Frankenstein monsters and trolls and other colorful characters, and they’re all hiding something,” says Milne. “It’s all fantastical, and very funny, but it also says a lot about gender roles in the real world and what we perceive as appropriate for males and females – an issue that’s still relevant in our own society.”

Tags: A Tale of Two Cities, Bernard Waber, Betsy Lewin, Charles Dickens, Chris Hainsworth, Christopher M. Walsh, Doreen Cronin, Dorothy Milne, George Howe, James E. Grote, Jessica Wright Buha, Jon Scieszka, Karen Tarjan, Lane Smith, Lifeline Theatre, Michael James Brooks, Michael Shaara, Monstrous Regiment, Paul Gilvary, Robert Kauzlaric, Terry Prachett, The Killer Angels, William Rush