SHELL OF A MAN Returns to Harbourside for Three Nights

Local playwright Donna Carbone returns to Harbourside with another dinner theater presentation of her play, Shell of a Man.This time the production will be offered with a bit of a twist. Ticket holders will enjoy a delicious prix fixe meal at Another Broken Egg Café and then walk a few steps to the new Vanilla Box Theatre, a venue created especially for this event. The dates are November 10, 11 and 12 - Veterans Day weekend.Dinner begins at 5:00 pm. The show begins at 7:00 pm.

Carbone originally brought the play to Harbourside in September and the demand for tickets far exceeded available seating. The show was held inside Another Broken Egg Café where Carbone and her production team had created an intimate theater environment. The most often heard comment from those lucky enough to see Shell of a Man was "Riveting!" In a recent interview, Carbone said, "I was standing off stage watching the audience. Grown men were crying. Women were leaning forward in their seats as though trying to touch the actors. One audience member told me that he forgot he was watching a play. He believed that the real Robert Logan was on stage speaking to him."

Shell of a Man is a true story. Robert Logan is a Vietnam veteran. He was raised in the Jim Crow south and picked his first bag of cotton at the age of two. The hardship of his early life taught him the skills needed to survive a 40 year battle with PTSD. Carbone's goal is to personalize this much talked about but barely understood condition in order to raise awareness of the need for better healthcare for our men and women in uniform. The play features Ewan Leslieas Robert Logan, Jeanne Tidwell as Adriana Fleming and Lee Marlow as Dawn Peters. "I'm so proud of my actors," she stated. "There is a tremendous amount of dialogue in this show, but Ewan, Jeanne and Lee are passionate about Robert's story, and that passion is evident in their performances."

When asked, Carbone explained how Shell of a Man came to be written. "In 2011 I published two columns supporting better healthcare for veterans. A Vietnam vet wrote to me, expressing his thanks and beginning what was to become a much cherished and, often, painful friendship. He calls himself Robert L. We've never met. His face is but a ghostly image in an old photograph he sent to me. I hear his voice only through the emails we exchange. I believe that distance and the anonymity of the internet allowed Robert to share his life with me in a way few others have heard. What he said forced me to accept that, despite being well-read, I knew nothing about the effects of serving in a war zone. Although Shell of a Man is told through the life of one man, it is in actuality a story that touches the lives of all of our veterans."

Carbone expressed her gratitude to Harbourside Place, especially Connie Kartell, who manages the venue's charitable giving and community service endeavors. "North county residents are lucky to have such dedicated people and such a beautiful venue at which to showcase the many talents of Palm Beach County residents. Without Connie, the Vanilla Box Theatre would not exist and Shell of a Man would be gathering dust on a shelf. She is a true lover of the arts, a woman of deep caring and a visionary," Carbone beamed.

The dinner portion of the evening will begin at 5:00 pm at Another Broken Egg Cafe and will include a fixed price menu with a selection of three main courses. The meal will include wine and/or a cold beverage. The cost for both the dinner and the show is $40.00. The play will begin at 7:00 pm. Seating is limited. Tickets can be ordered by calling 561 385-1584.

For more information on Donna Carbone visit www.writeforyoullc.com or write write4you@comcast.net.

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