Do you ever get that giddy feeling when you open your mailbox? It’s especially urgent when you are expecting to receive a package from something that you bought online, isn’t it. We all feel a sense of eagerness, whether it’s a package, invitation or love letter. Well, how would you feel if you were anticipating a letter from a loved one who is serving in the military and stationed across the world? Would you feel that same level of excitement? For most military families, the answer would probably be “no.” A letter like that could cause anxiety, but it could also provide reassurance that their soldier is safe.
On Monday November 13, 2017 at 7 p.m., Texas A&M University Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts will host the Griffin Theatre Company’s production “Letters Home” in Rudder Theatre. “Letters Home” is a play that illustrates the life of United States soldiers living in the Middle East. This production brings to life real correspondences between soldiers and their parents.
“Letters Home” was originally inspired by the New York Times Op-Ed article “The Things They Wrote.” Along with a nationally recognized publication, author Frank Schaeffer also influenced the production of the play with his nonfiction works related to the life of American soldiers.
The Griffin Theatre Company was able to transform these letters and correspondences from various sources into a stage adaptation. The stories are re-created and portrayed from first-person perspective, while images and videos are projected behind the actors. These photos and videos are obtained from actual soldiers’ blogs, websites and social media.
This play gives an insight on the daily experiences that an American soldier goes through mentally and physically. It depicts the disorientation of training, deployment to foreign countries, separation from loved ones, war and their occupational responsibilities. These stories reveal the soldiers’ acts of bravery, compassion and social responsibility to their home country that is thousands of miles away.
The performance will take place on campus in Rudder Theatre. Tickets can be purchased through the Memorial Student Center Box Office. General Admission is $7, and student tickets are $5.
