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| The cast of War Stories. All photos by the author |
Arms
and the man I sing…
Thus begins Virgil’s The Aeneid, one of civilization’s first
“war stories.” It seems that ever since man has taken up arms he has felt
compelled to chronicle his experiences in the storm of battle and, in quieter
moments, reflect on what he saw, heard, felt and contemplate his service, how
it echoes in his soul.
Many memoirs have been written
about a soldier’s life, but on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1, the
voices of those who have served their country will “sing” their own particular
stories at the Wien Experimental Theatre located in Fairfield
University’s Quick Center
for the Performing Arts.
Billed as “War Stories: A Veterans
Project,” a creation of Peter Van Heerden,
Nina Bentley, and Sonya Huber, it has been underwritten by grants from the
National Endowment for the Arts, the CT Office of the Arts and Fairfield’s
Quick Center. The evening will feature 13 men and three women in a performance
work that will allow them to give voice to what they experienced during their
time of service and, perhaps more important, what they have had to deal with
since they left the service.
Most
of the participants are homeless veterans from ARBI/Homes for the Brave
in Bridgeport, an organization that, since 2002, has provided safe
housing, vocational training, job placement, and life skills coaching to help
more than 1,000 individuals -- primarily veterans -- leave homelessness
behind.
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| Sign posted on a rehearsal table |
As Van
Heerden explained at a recent rehearsal at the black box theater, the
production is an effort in “courageous story telling,” for many of the actors
are “at war every single day of their lives.” They are men and women who served
their country and who, after their service, “are not supported by the system.”
Before
beginning rehearsal the actors, none of whom have ever acted before, gathered
together to speak about why they had chosen to become involved and what the
project means to them. Kenny, who did not serve but has become part of the
project, said that he did so “to learn something new,” to prove to himself that
it’s “something I can do.” Nate, a former Marine, said he enlisted in the
service because his brother was killed in Viet Nam. “I enlisted because I
wanted vengeance,” he said. Participation in War Stories is “something to keep me active.”
These are
primarily homeless men and women whose days can seem to stretch on to eternity
and whose lives have perhaps lost meaning. Ricky, who served in the Army,
signed on with War Stories because it
was “something new, challenging.” As the former GI fell silent, Van Heerden
emphasized that one of his goals, a goal he is imbuing in his actors, is that
he wants them – and their stories – “to connect with the audience.” He would
come back to that theme later on in the rehearsal.
Ronald,
who also served in the Army, was also intrigued by the possibility of
experiencing something new. “It’s all about expressing myself,” he said,
“talking about what I’ve experienced in my life.”
For
Ronald and the other members of the cast, it would also seem to be about the
opportunity simply to be heard, to have someone listen, attentively, and
perhaps understand. Too often they are seen as mere statistics, faceless
shadows, forced to be mute in a society that has neither the time nor the
interest in hearing their stories.
Romano
(“You know, like the cheese.”), who served in the National Guard, said that
being involved in War Stories was
interesting because he “liked to be creative.” Aubrey, who served in the Army,
put a different spin on why they were all there. “Many veterans,” he said,
“never step out of the box,” meaning that they can’t break out of the
constrictions that they find themselves defined by, either by society or
themselves. Acting is Aubrey’s effort to step out of that “box.”
James, a
Coast Guard veteran, said that Van Heerden and Bentley came to Homes for the
Brave to speak about the project and he thought, well, “I can talk about the
issues.” Then he added, “Maybe this will be my big break,” a comment that
elicited laughter and a bit of joshing from his fellow actors.
Although
the atmosphere in the theater was convivial, there was also an underlying
tension, not so much about the upcoming show but, it would seem, the very fact
that the production was urging these veterans to open up, to verbalize, to
confront what many of them may have kept bottled up. Christina, sitting in the
back row, the only woman of the three in the show who made it to this
rehearsal, referenced an earlier remark made by Van Heerden. “It’s like what
Peter said, about how we fight a war every day.” She tussled her hair and
smiled. “I wanted to get involved with this group, to get myself out into the
world.” She said she had gone through a rough patch over the past three months,
didn’t elaborate, but there was a sense that the cast knew what she was
referring to, if not the specifics then the general sense of dealing with
chimeras.
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| Peter Van Heerden at rehearsal |
Her words
stirred Felix, an ex-marine, to speak up. He said his story, the one he would
tell in the show, was “very deep.” He paused, considering his words, then said,
“They turn you on, they flip a switch, and then when you get out,” meaning out
of the service, “they don’t turn you off.” Asked to explain, he said, “The
trigger is always there.” He shrugged. “A lot of vets get into trouble.”
Joseph, also an ex-marine, spoke up: “I had war stories in me before I even
enlisted – inside of me. This,” gesturing at his surroundings, the black box
theater, “is therapeutic.”
And what,
exactly, is the therapy? Well, part of it is learning how to be an actor. James
commented: “I didn’t realize it would be as hard as it is. It’s not just about
reciting lines. It’s all the little details that make the show.” No, perhaps
it’s not just about the lines, but maybe it is. Nate looked around at the group
and said “If it wasn’t for this we wouldn’t be communicating the way we are
with each other. I call it fellowship.” With that, Romano chimed in: “It’s like
getting stuck in a fog, but every time you talk it gets a little better.”
With
that, Van Heerden sat forward and spoke directly to his cast. “Everyone is on
stage,” he said. “Everybody will have their moment.” He turned to expand on
what the cast has been preparing. There will be ‘The Telephone Call,’ which
explained all of the phones sitting on the chairs and tables. “It’s the first
call you make when you get on base – who you call – and maybe it’s the last
call you will ever make.
Then there’s the ‘Flag Sequence.’ Everyone made their
own flag.” Apparently there’s been discussion about a proposed sequence in
which the American flag will be allowed to fall to the floor. The cast was
silent as Van Heerden became more animated. Perhaps the audience will react
negatively to allowing the flag to hit the floor. “We want to make the audience
complicit,” Van Heerden said. If they react to the flag falling, a symbol, then
“how could you let that man fall on the ground?”
“We want
the audience to ask that question themselves,” Christina said.
These
actors – this cast – are all venturing into an unknown world, not just the
world of the theater but a world that will allow them to say what they have to
say, to confront an audience that represents a society that has often chosen to
disregard or deny the pain and suffering they have gone through, the dismissal
of their humanity. The trust they have placed in Van Heerden is palpable. As
Gerald pointed out, “It’s like two prize fighters – you go into the ring and
all you see is the other fighter, but when the round is over and you go to your
corner there’s the trainer, the coach, telling you what to do. He can see more
than what you can see. You gotta trust your coach, do what he tells you to do.”
Why do
they trust Van Heerden? Because he doesn’t hide his concern and his anger.
“Everyone here is telling the ultimate truth,” he said. “These are stories you
may not want to hear but these are stories you have to hear.”
After
speaking about what they were doing and what it meant to them, the group got
down to the business of rehearsing. Specifically, Van Heerden started to run
though the opening moments of the show when the cast members will be sitting in
chairs ringing three sides of the theater. As the audience walks in the actors
will be talking amongst themselves, quietly. Van Heerden urged them to go for
restraint, to create a tension without any overt movements or gestures so that
the audience will get a sense that there are stories being withheld, stories
they can’t quite hear yet. Yes, it’s theatrical, but it looks like it will
work. This will be followed by each one of the cast members being called to the
microphone.
At this
moment in the rehearsal the transformation in the cast was electrifying, and
spoke volumes. As the cast members’ names were called, each stood, executed a
sharp left or right turn, strode confidently to the microphone and in a
military voice, a voice not heard before that day, announced their names and
their military affiliations, if there were any. It was a roll call and they
were responding as they had been trained to do. These homeless veterans knew
about discipline, knew about duty, knew about camaraderie and dedication to the
service. They were once again standing proud and tall and answering the call of
duty.
During a
break in the rehearsal, Berice, an Army veteran who had arrived late, was asked
why he had chosen to become involved in the show. He smiled. “Well I
volunteered,” he said. “A while ago, I became an electrician because I was
scared of electricity.” He looked out at the stage and his fellow actors. “I
want to do this,” he said.
For
tickets or more information go to http://center.com or call the box office at
203.254.4010.
