Dilkes was the inspiration be-
hind A Year In The Trenches, a
new play, written by James Rana
and developed with Gayle Stahl-
huth, Artistic Director of East
Lynne Theater Company. It was
commissioned by the New Jer-
sey Historical Commission and
the New Jersey State Council on
the Arts to commemorate the
100th Anniversary of the United
States entering World War I. The
play will be performed by East
Lynne Theater Company in Cape
May from September 20 through
October 14.
“The World War I Centennial
offers us an opportunity to re-
examine a period of history that
seems absolutely relevant to to-
day,” explained Sara R. Cureton,
Executive Director, New Jersey
Historical Commission. “Ques-
tions regarding how the U.S.
should engage with the rest of
the world, the role of women
in society, the treatment of im-
NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 8
migrants, the nature of modern
warfare, and the meaning of
patriotism challenged citizens
of 1917, just as they bedevil
us now. A Year in the Trenches
shines a spotlight on how some
New Jerseyans confronted these
issues and brings us greater un-
derstanding of both the past
and present. The Historical Com-
mission is delighted to join with
the New Jersey State Council on
the Arts in exploring this pivotal
period of our history through
this engaging new play.”
According to Stahlhuth, Sara
Cureton read a book based on
the memoirs of Dilkes called
Remembering World War I: An
Engineer’s Diary of the War. The
book described the raw war
emotions expressed by Dilkes,
a volunteer engineer, who left
the comforts of high society to
shoulder a shovel and a rifle to
serve his country. He was born in
Philadelphia, but spent the rest
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