Photo Flash: Bellingham TheatreWorks' THE GHOSTS OF TONKIN Begins Tonight ACT

In commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, Bellingham TheatreWorks presents the powerful, behind-closed- doors story of how seemingly well-intentioned public officials brought about one of the most devastating chapters in the history of the United States: The Vietnam War. And how one man, Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon, tried to stop it before it began. Scroll down for a first look at the cast onstage!

Never before dramatized either on stage or in film, the first week of August, 1964 was a pivotal moment in the history of our country. Our smoldering involvement in Vietnam was ignited into all out war when the North Vietnamese attacked a US destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin. Although the attack was later revealed to be "bad intelligence," it gave the Johnson Administration the excuse it needed to introduce a resolution giving LBJ authority to use military intervention in Vietnam. Only one thingstood in the way of President Johnson's plans in Vietnam: Oregon Senator Wayne Morse.

Senator Wayne Morse was an outspoken critic of US intervention in Vietnam. He served on the Senate Foreign Relations committee which, on August 6, 1964, held a hearing on Johnson's Gulf of Tonkin resolution. Facing Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Johnson's front man for ramming the resolution through congress, Senator Morse passionately argued against the resolution. But, as brought home with heartbreaking clarity in The Ghosts of Tonkin, Morse was a lone voice. In Steve Lyons' new play, which premiered last year in Bellingham before touring to Portland and Eugene, we witness Morse's empathic arguments brushed aside and the resolution breeze through the hearing. The administration kept the public and congress in the dark about the serious doubts surrounding the North Vietnamese attack in the Gulf. The resolution received overwhelming approval on the floor of the House and Senate, with only Senator Morse of Oregon and Senator Gruening of Alaska voting against it. The Vietnam War not only killed millions of people but also decimated Johnson's ambitious social programs. And Wayne Morse, who predicted "Future generations will look with dismay upon a Congress about to make such a historic mistake," proved to be right.

The Ghosts of Tonkin is based on telephone conversations, senate transcripts, recently declassified NSA documents, and other sources. In addition to Wayne Morse, characters include LBJ, Robert McNamara, Dean Rusk, William Fulbright, as well as fictitious characters.

Every performance of the 65 minute play is followed by a post-play discussion featuring the playwright, Vietnam Vets, and experts in the field. Each discussion is moderated by local media personalities, including Dave Ross (KIRO), Manda Factor (KOMO radio), Florangela Davila (KPLU), Elisa Jaffe (KOMO 4), Ross Reynolds (KUOW), and Allen Schauffler (Al Jazeera).

In the cast are: Greg Monahan - Senator Wayne Morse; Heather Dudenbostel - Doris; Robert Hankins - Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara; Evan Kubena - Ben, ensemble; Gray Eubank* - President Lyndon Johnson, ensemble; Jim Lortz - Senator Barry Goldwater, ensemble. * Member of Actors Equity Association

On the creative team: Steve Lyons - Playwright; Mark Kuntz - Director; Dipu Gupta - Scenic & Lighting Designer; Charlie Weber - Sound Designer; and Quy Ton - Stage Manager.

The show runs tonight, May 2, 7:30pm Sunday, May 3, 2:00pm Thursday, May 7, 7:30pm Friday, May 8, 7:30pm Saturday, May 9, 7:30pm Sunday, May 10, 2:00pm at ACT Theatre. Age recommendation: All ages. For more information, click here.

Photo Credit: Angela Kiser

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