About the film
Staging Our War tracks how US military veterans are discovering in live theater a way of transforming their lives. Whether immersing themselves in Shakespeare or Greek drama, whether participating in writing workshops or writing plays or appearing onstage, they are finding in theater not only a vivid way of sharing their experiences with the American public, but also a source of healing and hope for themselves and their communities. By bringing onstage their own experiences, these veteran artists are also breathing fresh life into the American Theater.
Meet the Veterans
Our story follows the artistic journeys of four veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Through their backstories we’ll learn what led each to theater as an outlet. We’ll see them honing their craft as writers or actors. We’ll understand how this work helps them come to grips with the wounds of war. And by the end of the film we’ll see each experience a sense of the freeing power of putting their art onstage.
Jenny Pacanowski
US Army Combat Medic for 4 years, deployed to Iraq. Suffering from PTSD on her return home, Jenny literally began to heal herself by writing – poetry, short dramas, performance pieces. We’ll see her lead veteran writing workshops in three Pennsylvania communities, as well as perform her own monologues onstage in New York City and elsewhere.
Maurice Decaul
After 6 years in the US Marines, Maurice assumed he’d become a policeman or fireman. Then he discovered theater, and began writing plays. Having now worked at the Theater Communications Group while taking an MFA at Brown, he’ll stage two full-length plays in 2018 – one off-Broadway in NYC, one at Syracuse Stage.
Johnny Meyer
US Army Airborne Ranger for 7 years, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. First ignited by theater while reading Hamlet and Macbeth in Iraq. Now he believes theater is the most immediate way veterans can share their stories, believes sharing such stories is vital to democracy. We’ll see one of Johnny’s plays staged off-Broadway and elsewhere.
J.A. Moad II
Air Force veteran who flew over 100 combat missions, Jay turned to playwriting as a way of “sharing the moral burden of war,” as he puts it. We’ll see him perform in Outside Paducah, his play about three generations of American veterans in Middle America.
News & Updates
Check back soon for more information and updates on Staging Our War.
Contact Us
For over 30 years, Lumiere Productions has been creating a diverse array of films that engage hearts and open minds.For the first dozen years, the company produced only fiction films, for the last twenty only documentaries. Award-winning and critically acclaimed, our work is distributed around the world in broadcast TV, cable, and movie theaters. Whatever the topic or the venue, our films are consistently dedicated to exploring complex subjects in a way that will stimulate insight and encourage meaningful dialogue.
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