A play opening next month at Minnesota's Fort Snelling Base Camp features the personal stories collected from more than 100 local veterans, according to The Bemidji Pioneer. Titled "The Veterans Play Project," the stage show is set in the fictional Minnesota town of Smedley and follows the triumphs and pitfalls of both veterans and civilian life while also honoring those who fought for the community.
According to the play's official website, tales from new recruits and military advocates are also highlighted in the show.
"When I talk to vets, I hear that serving, going away, giving your life over to service, changes you in powerful ways," director Leah Cooper writes in her artist statement. "But one way to unpack those experiences, I have found personally as an artist, is to share them with others."
Approximately 13 active-duty servicemembers and veterans are performing the play, which will preview Nov. 14 and run from Nov. 15 through Nov. 24, according to the news source. Minnesota-based veterans are invited to help out backstage, design sets and costumes or provide ushering during the show, states the play's website.