New Jersey Stage 2017: Issue 8 | Page 109

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 INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 109