What does it mean to create something “meaningful?”
I was writing plays about women or women’s events from history. Then I discovered Hallie Flanagan, the Living Newspapers, and their mission and influence on this country. That discovery opened a portal—and sent me into many nights of joyful research.
Documentary Theatre. The forms vary - actors repeating transcripts word for word, one performer embodying every character, or an ensemble building whole communities on stage - but they share one thing: the power to break barriers. Between past and present. Between artist and audience.
Nine Years Later: Why Their Stories Still Matter
It’s been nearly a decade since I first sat across from those five remarkable women who served in Vietnam: Ann, Judy, Jeanne "Sam," Lily, and Lucki. I had no idea how profoundly their stories would affect me. Each brought a different perspective: Ann as a Special Services Librarian, Judy in Special Services Recreation, Jeanne "Sam" with the Red Cross as a "Donut Dollie," Lily as an Army Nurse, and Lucki as an Army Intelligence Specialist. Their stories have lived with me ever since, growing and evolving as we’ve found new ways to share them with audiences around the world.