With movie-with-a-message flicks like Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line on everybody's mind in the wake of the Academy Awards, first-hand accounts of grunts on the front line might seem a little old.  Tesla's Letters, however, does not narrate or preach.  It takes you on a journey through the lives of some ravaged characters (and some not so ravaged) who deal with the aftermath of hundreds of years of military occupation of their country.  Poignant material in the light of recent NATO bombings on Yugoslavia, Tesla's Letters reveals a slice of the aftermath of war and perhaps a path to recovery as well.  An American PhD candidate Daisy Archer travels to Yugoslavia after making a deal with the manager of the Nikola Tesla Musem to give her access to the great scientis Nikola Tesla's archive of letters.

When Daisy arrives in his office, however, she learns that Dragan (sounds like Dragon, appropriately) has his own agenda.  Dragan wants to send Daisy through crossfire on a bus to Croatia to obtain some photographs.  Only then, will he hand over the archive for Daisy to complete her research.  It is a captivating mystery, up until the very end, whether characters will stick to set plans or forsake everything for a country.  The intricate writing is filled with intellectual arguments and verbal word-play about historical events, not unlike a Tom Stoppard play.  With so many ideas tossing around regarding Croats, Serbs, Muslims, Catholics, it is to director Curt Dempster's credit that the play moves forward at such a great clip.

The acting is superb.  Keira Naughton plays the fresh Daisy.  Even though the character is green and idealistic, Naughton brings an edge to her role.  The audience never really feels that she would lose her poise--even when crossing through a mine field.  Victor Slezak is strong as a controlling physicist, filled with despair.  Grant James Varjas is shifty yet endearing as the mysterious stranger Daisy meets on a bus.  And Judith Roberts' smooth transformation from timid secretary to closet physicist is impressive.   Jeff Croiter's lighting compliments the antique, cherry wood furniture in the museum scenes and the use of blue light provides the perfect haunting element.  the exquisite and detailed office set exudes old world charm and timeless academia.  A simple removal of the museum signs exposes gutted-out concrete and rusty scaffolding, giving the flavor of the bombed-out churches the characters constantly refer to in the play.

In America, it is so easy to only hear sound bites and news flashes of wars in other countries and to not get personally involved in the troubles.  This new play gives homage to all of the Kosovo refugees who lost their families and were just this morning crying at an airport--an image, like this play, that is not easily forgotten.