The compelling production, written and directed by Michael J. Arndt, a professor in the theater arts department at California Lutheran University and founder of its Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, is on stage through Sunday at the school's Black Box Studio Theatre.
4 comments:
Combat Veterans have a very hard life. My Father served in the army during the Vietnam War and it took a huge toll on his life. I think that everyone should respect veterans much more than they do in real life. Veterans are struggling to find jobs and homes after coming back from war because it completely changes you as a person. You go through special training to be able to handle the battle field. Transitioning back into a world where you aren’t in constant danger is extremely difficult. Creating theater based on real world issues is one way to get the issue more known. But, I also don’t think that people always understand that issues in theater are real issues. People just see theater to escape from their problems and see fun, exciting things. I wish that people really cared about veterans but I don’t think that theater is really the place to do it.
This piece sounds incredibly moving and unique. Combat and war is something that all of us know about but most of us don't really understand or grasp it. I think that a piece like this is a great way to get the general public to understand better, what it really means to serve our country. Theatre is a great way to show people true stories and realities that they often times want to forget of get desensitized to. I would love to see this performed so that I can get a better understanding of what its like. I think that this piece has the potential to be really moving and the fact that it is made up of stories and real words from those who have lived through it adds another aspect of reality. I also really like the idea that it is being performed by actors the same age the soldiers would have been when they were experiencing these things. I think this piece sounds amazing. I love that theatre can educate and honor life in this way.
When I saw what this piece was about I was worried it would run into (what I feel) is the normal problem for movies or plays like this. All too often pieces that try be true to life and use real stories of war ended up embellishing pieces or changing things or just generally trying to change the amount of drama in the story. Normally there are good intentions behind these actions, writers and directors trying to make the story more compelling so it can reach more people. But unfortunate it often has the effect of making it come off insincere or fake. Fortunately, it sounds like this a problem this particular production will be able to avoid. Given that the people whose stories are being told are part of the production and that the director has been in the same position as them makes it seem much more likely that their stories will be allowed to stand on their own without modification.
The welfare of soldiers, active duty and veterans alike, both in and out of battle is near to my heart. I think its wonderful that we are becoming more concerned with veterans and we are attempting to produce pieces in the arts that shed a light on their journey. All support and compassion veterans are given is a step in the right direction My Best friend is a combat vet, and supporting him and his fellow soldiers is incredibly important to me. He is leaving to go back to Afghanistan in February and while he is away I always make sure to write to him and his fellow men to help them though their tours. Helping veterans is necessary, trying to understand, while we never fully will, what they went though and how to help them continue their lives once back in the civilian world is imperative. I would love to be able to have seen this show, I think(and hope) It would be incredibly powerful.
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