NORTH HOLLYWOOD– Staged Reading of “Grandfathered: Where War Lingers”

NORTH HOLLYWOOD– See a special reading of an original play written and staged by the “Veterans Write a Play” workshop, followed by a discussion between the veterans and the public—at the North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library in May. “Veterans Write a Play” is a Humanities for All Quick Grant project supported by California Humanities. Humanities Artist Leilani Squire has led a series of workshops in which eight veteran participants learned the basics of playwriting, collectively chose the topic, theme, story and characters, and then wrote the play, Grandfathered: Where War Lingers. They rehearsed with Theatre Director James MacDonald and will present a live staged reading to the public, followed by a discussion with the audience. Grandfathered: Where War Lingers will be presented on May 5^th in the Community Room at the North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library, 5211 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood 91601 from 2:00-5:00 P.M. Admission is Free to the public. Some street and library parking is available. For ADA accommodations, call (213) 228-7430 at least 72 hours prior to the event.  “Veterans Write A Play is one of the most exciting and meaningful projects I have been involved with,” said Leilani Squire, Project Director and Humanities Artist. “The project has been an opportunity for veterans to come together and collaborate in a way that they have not done before. Grandfathered: Where War Lingers is an intimate look into how war affects four generations under the roof of one family’s house. Through writing the play, the veteran participants—who served from the Korean War through Operation Iraqi Freedom—processed their experiences in war, their military service, and the challenges they faced after deployment and discharge from the United States Armed Forces. I am proud of what the veterans have achieved in writing this play. Another important element of this project is the opportunity for the community to hear the veterans’ stories, and to discuss how their military experiences informed the writing of the play. Humanities Advisor, Sandra Fluck, Theatre Director James MacDonald, Graphic Designer Dallas Dorsett, and I are grateful to have worked with these terrific and talented veterans and to be a part of such a worthy and meaningful project.” Story has the power to heal the wounds inflicted on the soul by war and combat, military sexual trauma, repeated deployments, separation, and isolation that veterans experience during their service. Some veterans struggle to heal these wounds even after discharge. “Veterans Write A Play” is a series of workshops where participants will address these issues through dialogue and writing. They will learn the basics of playwriting, collectively choose the topic, theme, story and characters, and write a play. This ensemble of veterans who served during the Korean War to Operation Iraqi Freedom will rehearse the play with a theatre director and present a live reading to the public. After the performance, the veterans and the community will engage in meaningful dialogue about military service and its effect on the play that emerged in the workshop. Saturday, May 5, 2018, 2-5:00 pm @ North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library 5122 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood 91601  Admission is free. ADA accessibility. Street and metered parking nearby are available. Reserve your seat at https://www.facebook.com/events/1863902803629217/  or at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/veterans-write-a-play-tickets-42732149008. For more information, go to www.returningsoldiersspeak.org or contact Leilani Squire, Project Director, (310) 628. 3507, contact@returningsoldiersspeak.org