For a brief moment in 1914, something extraordinary occurred while World War I raged.

On that Christmas Eve, British and German soldiers along the Western Front held their fire and crossed into no-man's land, where they celebrated the holiday alongside opponents with whom they had been doing battle only days before. Gifts were exchanged, songs were sung and improvised soccer games were played. It was only a temporary reprieve, but the Christmas Truce of 1914 remains a powerful moment of peace in an otherwise bloody period of history.

A century later, the Modern Theater in Coeur d'Alene pays tribute to this event with its current production, "All is Calm." One weekend remains in its successful Coeur d'Alene run, and an encore performance will show on Christmas Eve at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane, 100 years to the day after the truce that inspired the play.

The play was written by Peter Rothstein and was originally staged in Minneapolis, where it runs every year. Assistant director Phoebe Oosterhuis brought the script to the attention of Modern Theater executive director George Green.

see CALM, D3

from D1

"Peter Rothstein is an old college professor of mine, they have done the show every Christmas since 2008," Oosterhuis said. "I'd seen it a number of times there, then moved here and suggested it to George, who fell in love with it because it's wonderful."

"All is Calm" is the first production to open at the former Lake City Playhouse venue since the company merged with Interplayers in Spokane to form the Modern Theater.

The play is a dramatic musical, with the 11 members of the cast narrating the events with monologues based on letters from the soldiers who participated in the truce - as well as a few notable historical figures, though the play emphasizes the point of view of the rank-and-file troops. Cast members each portray multiple figures from both sides of the war.

Though a short performance at only an hour, the narrative is engaging, and the actors handle the tragedy and surprising humor of the story well under the direction of Spokane singer Abbey Crawford. The true highlight of the production, however, is the music. Traditional Christmas carols, patriotic anthems and mournful dirges are sung in a capella harmony in English, Scottish Gaelic, German and French. Beautiful renditions of "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night") and "Auld Lang Syne" are particular standouts.

The actors closely researched the lives of the soldiers they portray and the results of that effort are noticeable.

"One of the most rewarding things for me was seeing them make connections with the characters that they portray," Oosterhuis said, "and feeling those moments of reality in their relationships with the soldiers themselves."

Cast member Daniel Bell, who portrays British soldier Frank Bass and others, credits that connection for the quality of their performance.

"When you start to connect with them, when you're researching who these men were, it's so much easier to be authentic, because these were authentic men," he said. "They weren't trying to persuade or dictate or manipulate other people, they were just men who wrote simply and authentically and their words were so pure, it helps you as an actor."

Crawford feels the play's themes still resonate today.

"The show is relevant not just in that particular time, but every wartime," she said. "It's never the men who create the war who actually go to fight, it's the men and women who are out there in the field dealing with way different circumstances than the people who are just sitting comfortably in their homes or offices, not fighting. And (the World War I soldiers) took it upon themselves to say to them 'screw you, we're going to have Christmas.' I think that is relevant in any time.

"Look at the men and women who won't be home for Christmas this year. It really is a different kind of Christmas story, and I think it's one of the most important ones to tell."

A dollar from every ticket sold during the play's opening weekend was donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity which assists injured veterans and their families.

Coeur d'Alene "All is Calm" showtimes continue at 7:30 tonight and Saturday with a final 2 p.m. show Sunday. The encore at the Bing plays for one night only on Christmas Eve at 6:30 p.m.

Info: 676-7529 or www.themoderntheater.org