How Storytelling Can Bridge the Military-Civilian Divide

In 2008, playwright Jonathan Wei became bothered by how few people knew what active duty soldiers and their families were going through. So he founded The Telling Project, a non-profit that provides veterans and their families the chance to tell their stories of military service. Since then, fifteen productions of The Telling Project have debuted, each one a unique rendition of the trials and triumphs of local veterans. Wei is now working with Texas A&M theater arts professor Michael Greenwald, who is teaching 20 veterans and their families how to perform their stories for a live audience in “Telling Aggieland,” which will be staged in the spring.
“Some of our stories are funny, some are sad and some are us doing whatever we can to make it through that moment in time,” cast member and Army Captain Rebecca Lesemann told John Rangel of The Battalion. “‘Telling Aggieland’ is a wonderful way to share these experiences with the community, providing a small glimpse into the life of a soldier.”