The Accidental Hero

Stage WEST invites attendees to its only matinee of the year, a performance especially captivating as it falls close to Veterans Day. The Accidental Hero is a multimedia one-man show about Lieutenant Colonel Matt Konop, a WWII American officer who miraculously liberates the Czech villages of his grandparents. It’s a true story written and performed by his grandson, Patrick Dewane.

Patrick’s grandfather refused to talk about his service in the war. When he died, his basement yielded a treasure trove of typewritten accounts, photos, and rare film footage.

Dewane brings this archival material to glowing life as an enthralling, humorous, and heartwarming tale of miraculous escapes and astonishing coincidences. This touching show runs from belly laughs to tears. Dewane takes on a dozen different roles as he powerfully recounts his grandfather’s journey from Omaha Beach, the Battle of the Bulge, and the end of WWII. In the last week of the war, Konop’s story turns away from a soldier’s survival tale to something from mythology. He discovers his lost identity and is embraced by the tribe he never knew in an epic homecoming. As he freed the Czechs, he too was liberated.

Check out the website for more about Lieutenant Colonel Matt Konop.

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