51-50 The Play
Donation protected
What Americans call the Vietnam War began in November of 1955 and came to an end on April 30th 1975. During that near 20 year period an estimated 3,207,000 human beings on all sides were killed. Americans suffered 58,318 killed in action, 153,303 wounded in action and nearly 3000 either missing in action or taken prisoner of war. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam during the war. Each and every one of those men and women have their own unique memory of the experience. Some routinely engaged in unbelievably dangerous life threatening acts and can fairly be considered heroes for their deep commitment and personal sacrifice. Many others escaped the most challenging aspects of the war while most fell somewhere in the middle. But each and every man or women who served left the country with powerful and deep life long memories.
One such person was Corporal Ronald Irwin, USMC. He served in Chu Lai, Vietnam a Marine Corps air base about 50 clicks south of Da Nang. His recollections of his service in Vietnam are both horrifying and hilarious, albeit mostly cast in very dark humor. During late summer of 2017 Ron Irwin visited Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California for the annual air show. While there he and several other Vietnam veterans were award a commemorative pin to honor their service. That moved Irwin but what really reached deep inside of him and brought back a flood of memories is when he saw an A-4 jet aircraft he had last seen in Chu Lai, Vietnam. It was not an aircraft like one he had seen in Vietnam, it was the actual aircraft.
From that experience Irwin begin to consider ways to present his story in a manner that could inform and mostly entertain. As he was contemplating how to best go about that task he happened to meet a neighbor in his home town of Burbank, California, a neighbor who as it turned out was an award winning screen writer and a collaboration was born. And so it began: 51-50 The Play, co –written by Richard Perry and Ron Irwin.
Their goal is to have that play on stage in Los Angeles by April 2018. From a successful stage launch they are already also working on both a TV series and even a feature length movie. But first things first and after several conversations with experienced theatrical producers they will need to raise $25,000 just secure a proper venue before one dollar in ticket sales can be made.
We hope to inform and entertain but we are committed to donating a portion of all ticket sales to Wounded Warriors and Vietnam Veterans of America. So please help us get this launched.
One such person was Corporal Ronald Irwin, USMC. He served in Chu Lai, Vietnam a Marine Corps air base about 50 clicks south of Da Nang. His recollections of his service in Vietnam are both horrifying and hilarious, albeit mostly cast in very dark humor. During late summer of 2017 Ron Irwin visited Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California for the annual air show. While there he and several other Vietnam veterans were award a commemorative pin to honor their service. That moved Irwin but what really reached deep inside of him and brought back a flood of memories is when he saw an A-4 jet aircraft he had last seen in Chu Lai, Vietnam. It was not an aircraft like one he had seen in Vietnam, it was the actual aircraft.
From that experience Irwin begin to consider ways to present his story in a manner that could inform and mostly entertain. As he was contemplating how to best go about that task he happened to meet a neighbor in his home town of Burbank, California, a neighbor who as it turned out was an award winning screen writer and a collaboration was born. And so it began: 51-50 The Play, co –written by Richard Perry and Ron Irwin.
Their goal is to have that play on stage in Los Angeles by April 2018. From a successful stage launch they are already also working on both a TV series and even a feature length movie. But first things first and after several conversations with experienced theatrical producers they will need to raise $25,000 just secure a proper venue before one dollar in ticket sales can be made.
We hope to inform and entertain but we are committed to donating a portion of all ticket sales to Wounded Warriors and Vietnam Veterans of America. So please help us get this launched.
Organizer
Ron Irwin
Organizer
Burbank, CA
