Robert Altman Jr. Brings ‘Parallel Process’ a Powerful New War Drama to the Stage

Channels his Father’s M*A*S*H Legacy through the 50th Anniversary of Vietnam War With David Kohner Zuckerman‘s Riveting Drama

Los Angeles, CA — Fifty years after America’s involvement in Vietnam, Robert Altman Jr. — son of legendary M*A*S*H director Robert Altman — is bringing a powerful new war drama to the stage. The world premiere of Parallel Process opens September 26th at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles and runs through November 2nd, 2025.

For Altman Jr., the project carries a personal echo, “Fox Studios told my dad they wouldn’t do a movie about Vietnam — that it was too political,” he recalls. “They said it had to be about the Korean War. But if you look at M*A*S*H closely, you’ll see that it’s really about Vietnam. Indeed, those same unflinching themes of war’s hidden costs and the bonds between soldiers are at the heart of Parallel Process.”

Written and directed by David Kohner Zuckerman, Parallel Process draws authenticity from extensive conversations with the plays Executive Producer, Vietnam veteran Lt. Lewis Finocchio (Ret.) and many other veterans. “Every Vietnam Veteran carries a secret,” says Finocchio. “Parallel Process digs deeper than ever before into the lives of two brothers who served together and the horrible secret they have been carrying. It is a soul-touching revelation of the conflict and resolution experienced by two veterans in their lives today.”

The play is about two estranged brothers — Dennis, a respected clinical psychologist, and Bobby, a former District Attorney — who are reunited decades after serving together in Vietnam. Bobby’s unexpected arrival forces them to confront the brutal childhood and wartime trauma they’ve long buried, along with a devastating shared secret that could shatter the life Dennis has built. As the night unfolds, their reunion becomes a tense battle of wills, peeling back layers of guilt, betrayal, and the moral injuries that still bleed long after the war’s end.

“We’ve told plenty of stories about the battles abroad,” says Zuckerman. “This one is about the battle that happens after you come home — the one fought in your own mind, your relationships, and your sense of who you are. Marking fifty years since America’s involvement in Vietnam is more than historical recognition — it’s a reminder that we’re still reckoning with that legacy today.”

“A powerful story of how wars endure long after the final shots are fired.”

One of the most respected historians of the Vietnam War, Col. Gregory Daddis (Ret.), a combat veteran and holder of the Melbern G. Glasscock Endowed Chair in American History at Texas A&M University, calls the play “a powerful story of how wars endure long after the final shots are fired.” LcPl. Ken Rodgers (Ret.) agrees, describing it as “an apt display of moral injury… intense” in its portrayal of the lifelong battles and self-incrimination that haunt combat veterans. Vietnam veteran John Bagwell calls it “a gut punch of truth” that “forces you to remember — and to feel.”

Producer Altman Jr. says his decision to take on Parallel Process was immediate: “I have worked with David on a number of other projects. He wrote this amazing script and asked for my help, and I’m just more than grateful to be part of it.”

Zuckerman says, “If someone walks out of the theatre and calls an old friend they haven’t spoken to in years, or finally talks about something they’ve been avoiding, then we’ve done our job. We wanted to create something that resonates with anyone who’s ever struggled to reconcile their past with the person they’ve become.”

The Cast

The cast features Alan McRae (The West Wing) as Dennis; Eric Pierpoint (Liar Liar, Alien Nation) as Bobby; Vincent Gumbs (Angels in America) as Sam; Anabella Raye (FBI, daughter of actress Sela Ward) as Amanda; Peter Zizzo (Billions, Outrage) as Peterson; and Amy Biedel (The Midnight Club, Mamma Mia) as Colleen.

Zuckerman (writer/director) is a veteran filmmaker whose credits include A Perfect Christmas, Strictly Sexual, and Chump Change. He previously ran Development for Silver Lion Films, where he worked on Man on Fire and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. His mother Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman is the real-life inspiration for the fictional character Gidget from the 1957 novel penned by David’s grandfather Frederick Kohner.

Dates, Times, Tickets

Parallel Process opens on Friday, September 26, with performances continuing on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 2; $39 Reserved Seating. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to Vietnam Veterans of America. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90025. For more information, visit www.ParallelProcessThePlay.com.

*Special thanks to Susan Gordon Public Relations.