A Piece of my Heart, based on true stories, is a high action play about six women in Vietnam during the war. The women – four nurses, an information specialist and a musician – come from all walks of life and each have their own reasons for enlisting.

The first act portrays life of a female veteran during the war. The women were in dangerous areas and were ill prepared for the hardships and tragedies they faced.

In Act Two the women return home. Many of the women suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and they all struggle to settle into their lives.

From the moment I entered the theater, I knew the show would be raw, challenging and emotionally charged. The set was minimal, made entirely of scaffolding, with wooden boards connecting the platforms.

“Working with the scaffolding was difficult and scary at first, but once I got used to it I had so much fun,” said September Adams, a sophomore theatre major who played “Sissy.”

Sissy is a naïve 17-year-old from Pennsylvania. She joins the Red Cross to get out of her hometown.

Early on, the show establishes its high-paced and at times and at times chaotic energy. The blocking had the women constantly scrambling and climbing, entering, exiting and entering again. It was hectic. I liked it, but this helped emphasize the constant confusion of life during war.

The show was heavy-hearted and intense. There were a few, minor comic colorful moments but is overall a somber show that addresses the serious issues of the time.

Pink dog tags bearing the words “women are veterans, too” were sold at every show. The proceeds went to a group of female veterans that are raising money to attend a women retreat in April.