Military Vets Doing Shakespeare This Sunday

This Sunday. March 8th, Feast of Crispian will be hosting a viewing at the Milwaukee VA. As stated on their website FoC  is "an organization bringing together professional actors with post deployment service veterans who are struggling with a range of emotional and reintegration issues." It's a really sharp idea . . . US military veterans can have tremendous difficulty relating to the world after service regardless of how long it's been since they served. FoC looks to help them connect up through exploring drama. 

This weekend, FoC hosts an alumni-only weekend-long intensive that is focussing on scenes from Shakesepeare. What follows is a "witnessing" of the work that had been explored over the course of the weekend. 

FoC collaborator Nic Bernstein:

"This weekend's event, called a "Witnessing," will follow a weekend-long workshop in which participants and practitioners work together on scenes from plays such as Julius Caesar, Henry V, Macbeth and Hamlet.  The techniques used allow the vets to work without the encumbrance of scripts, focusing instead on the text and how they can connect with it.  At the witnessing -- not so much a performance as a window into the process -- visitors, family, friends and peers are allowed in to experience this along with the vets, and is an integral part of the process.  The event culminates with discussion.

The alumni event will include former service members from all branches who have participated in previous weekends (some have been at 5), and so will explore new material, expanded scenes and different techniques.  We anticipate a good turnout and some moving work."

Sounds like fascinating work. 

The March 9th Witnessing will start at 2:30 pm at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center on 5000 West National Avenue. in the third floor rec room 3430.