National Veterans Theater Festival

Feast of Crispian, a non-profit theater organization that uses the works of Shakespeare to work with military veterans, is proud to announce the first-ever National Veterans Theater Festival, which will take place at Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Stiemke Studio May 23-26, 2019. The festival will offer Milwaukee veteran and civilian audiences a chance to see performances by a wide array of veteran actors and artists who will explore issues of race, returning home, and processing their (military) experiences.

“The festival is an important cause for the health and well-being of our veterans who have put their lives on the line for us,” says Feast of Crispian’s Nancy Smith-Watson. “And it will also be a powerful showcase for the talent and the stories of these amazing performers.”

The festival is a result of Feast of Crispian’s residency at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, which is one of the largest professional theaters in the country. “The whole organization of Feast of Crispian, staff and veterans, are incredibly excited about what the partnership with The Rep means for us,” Smith-Watson says. “The level of recognition will be significantly raised both locally and nationally. That means we can reach more veterans and include more of the civilian population in bringing our national warriors fully home.”

“We at Milwaukee Rep are thrilled to provide an artistic home for Feast of Crispian and all artists involved in the National Veterans Theater Festival,” said Milwaukee Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements. “This festival provides a rare opportunity for Milwaukee to experience a variety of stories from talented Veteran performers from across the country, showcasing the breadth of the military experience and how we as civilians and non-civilians can gain understanding and empathy for each other.”

The National Veterans Theater Festival artist and performance schedule is as follows:

Thursday, May 23 at 7:30pm - And Comes Safe Home by Feast of Crispian

Kicking off the festival will be Milwaukee’s own Feast of Crispian performing And Comes Safe Home which incorporates Shakespearean scenes with original material based on the veteran performers’ own experiences.

1. May 24 at 7:30pm - Color of Courage by Mitch Capel and Sonny Kelly Based out of Fayetteville, NC, Mitch Capel and Sonny Kelly perform a series of stories about the 180,000 African-American soldiers who served in the Union Army in the Civil War. Using multi-media, the play brings to life an array of African American soldier’s stories and struggles.

Saturday, May 25 at 2pm - She Went to War by The Telling Project

The Telling Project is a national performing arts non-profit based in Austin, TX that employs theater to deepen our understanding of the military and veterans’ experience. She Went to War premiered at The Guthrie Theater in 2017. It is an autobiographical performance by four female veterans, all of whom in widely varying capacities, experienced significant combat exposure during their terms in the military. It presents an opportunity for the American public to understand and acknowledge the distinctive and important roles women have played on the battlefield.

1. May 25 at 7:30pm - AMAL by Combat Hippies Combat Hippies is an ensemble of Puerto Rican Veterans from Miami, Florida. AMAL, developed and directed by award winning theater artist Teo Castellanos delves into the impact of war on both combatants and noncombatants. As people of color using spoken word and hip-hop, Combat Hippies share experiences of veterans’ adjustment to life after war, as well as that of refugees and asylum seekers from war-torn countries.

Sunday, May 26 at 2pm - Cry Havoc by Stephan Wolfert

Over 23 million living veterans have been wired for war but never re-wired to come home: Cry Havoc, a one-person play by military veteran Stephan Wolfert, seamlessly interweaves Shakespeare’s most famous speeches with personal experience to help us understand the national crises we face when we fail in reintegrating our veterans. Performed in over 18 cities in the US and Europe, including off-Broadway with the acclaimed Bedlam theater company, Cry Havoc “delivers visceral poetry” (Houston Chronicle).

All performances are 90 minutes or less and include a TalkBack immediately following the performance.

1. National Veterans Theater Festival runs in the Stiemke Studio May 23-26, 2019. Tickets are $30 for adults per play, Veterans $20 per play, Seniors and Students $25 per play. In addition, we offer festival packages: 3 plays for $75 and 5 plays for $100. To purchase visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com, call the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or in person at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.