Letters Home

Based on real letters from soldiers currently serving in the Middle East

Letters Home puts the current war in Iraq front and center by bringing to life actual letters written by soldiers serving in the Middle East. The production is inspired by the New York Times Op-Ed Article, “The Things They Wrote” and the subsequent HBO documentary, "Last Letters Home" and additionally uses letters and correspondences from Frank Schaeffer’s books including Voices From the Front, Letters Home From America’s Military Family, and Faith of Our Sons

Without politicizing, the play gives audiences a powerful portrait of the soldier experience in the ongoing war. The initial production last winter was critically acclaimed and was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for Outstanding New Play. Although the title of the play implies that all the letters are from soldiers, the producers have also chosen to include a small number of correspondences from parents – their words, being no less important.

These letters were written under the most difficult of circumstances; the disorientation of training, deployment, separation from family and loved ones and combat, and occupation duties in Afghanistan and Iraq. One theme seems to unite their diverse voices; the belief that the person standing beside you is more important than you are. They also help define for the audience patriotism, and what it means to serve our country today through acts of bravery, compassion, social responsibility, sense of community and brotherhood. Collectively, the production gives a voice to a generation that went to war against terror in Afghanistan, and to war in Iraq for reasons that are still being debated. The correspondences from these men and women, who are still fighting and dying in those wars today, reveal the humanity that lies within the war as seen through their eyes.

The production uses minimal props and set pieces to dramatize the letters. It employs the use of images and video projected behind the actors as they perform the letters as dramatic monologues. The photos and video used in the production are taken directly from actual soldiers' blogs and websites such as Myspace and Facebook. To enhance the theatrical experience of the play, all performances are followed by a post-play discussion.

Actor and director Kevin Kingston is a native of Arab, AL, and will be appearing in the Huntsville production in November.

Read an interview with Kevin published in the Arab Tribune on November 9.

November 21, 2009

Performances:

Fri, Nov. 20 at 7:30 pm (SOLD OUT)
Sat, Nov. 21 at 2 pm
Sat, Nov. 21 at 7:30 pm

Tickets:

$30.00 Adults
$27.00 Students and Seniors (60+)
$25.00 Military personnel and veterans

Ticket price includes processing fee.

There are no exchanges or refunds on ticket purchases. All seats are reserved.

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