The Widows of Ashur

An original contemporary drama about the toxic, destructive power of modern military conflict. Setting: an older home. The Father (a veteran of an earlier war) is in a wheelchair, crippled by disease and delusional. The Wife moved in to care for him after her Husband (eldest child of the father) died in the current war. Temporarily home for the holidays, the Brother is a post-doctoral fellow at a large university. Female Soldier appears at the door. She brings the Husband's dog tags to the family. The Wife insists that the Soldier stay a few days and get to know them. The Soldier reveals that she is AWOL, as she did things during the war that haunt her. Soldier and Brother develop an intimacy. The Wife discovers them and rages, demanding that the brother leave the house. Soldier smothers the Father, so that it appears he died of natural causes. Brother and Soldier make a plan to run off to Canada together. Before departing, Soldier quietly smothers Wife's children upstairs. Soldier and brother depart. Wife is left alone to discover the brutal murder of her children.