P.O.W. Book-turned-Opera Comes to Des Moines Area

When military reporter Tom Philpott first encountered the tragic story of an Army family that lost its way during the wartime captivity of its patriarch, Floyd James "Jim" Thompson, he could hardly have predicted the journey would include more than a decade of reporting; publishing his work not as journalism, but as oral history; and soon to be an English-language opera to be performed Nov. 16-18 2018 on the campus of the Iowa National Guard's Camp Dodge, located in Johnston, Iowa.

Performances of "Glory Denied" are:

• 7:30 p.m. Fri., Nov. 16
• 7:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 17
• 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 18

Tickets are $45, and may be purchased via the Des Moines Metro Opera at 515.961.6221 or www.desmoinesmetroopera.org. On Fri., Nov. 16, there will be a 5:30 p.m. reception featuring the opera's composer, Tom Cipullo.

A FREE preview will be presented to veterans, currently service members, and their guests 7 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 15. Contact the Des Moines Metro Opera for registration.

According to press materials:

America’s longest held prisoner of war returns to a country he no longer recognizes and a family who barely recognizes him. "Glory Denied" speaks to the plight of so many of our veterans who nobly fight for their country but face huge challenges when it comes to repatriation—and their longed-for civilian lives—after service. This true story of Vietnam veteran Colonel Jim Thompson explores the unimaginable bravery asked of soldiers and even the nature of hope itself.

Following each performance, cast members and Iowa National Guard veterans and soldiers will participate in a curated talk-back session with audience members.

This is Des Moines Metro Opera's second collaboration with the Iowa National Guard. In January 2017, a production of David T. Little's rock-infused "Soldier Songs" was also conducted at Camp Dodge. See the Red Bull Rising coverage here.

The story behind "Glory Denied" was previously covered on the Red Bull Rising blog in a Jan. 11, 2013 post.

Thompson, the longest-held U.S. Prisoner of War (P.O.W.) in American history, spent 9 years in North Vietnamese captivity. The first five were in solitary confinement. He attempted to escape five times. He came home in 1973.

"He dreamed in his mind of building this dream house when he got home. It turns out that his wife was living for eight or nine years with another man, who was posing as the father of the children," says Philpott, in the 2017 Red Bull Rising interview. "The boy, who was the only boy of four children, born the day after he was shot down, was called in at 9-years-old and told, 'This is not your dad. Here's a picture of your dad. He's coming home.'"

Then a reporter for the Army Times, Philpott first wrote a magazine-length article about Thompson in 1986. Thompson had suffered a stroke in 1980, and was living alone in Key West, Fla. To get past his expressive aphasia, Thompson played for Philpott a tape recording of a local media interview he'd given after his return.

Philpott ended up interviewing more than 150 people to further flesh out the story. "I didn't want to just tell his story," he says. "I wanted to tell about the impact of his captivity was on his whole family." The book-length oral history was published in 2001, with each friend's and family-member's recollections presented in their own words. Inspired in format by a 1982 book titled "Edie: American Girl," which relates from multiple perspectives the story of one of Andy Warhol's constellation of personalities, Philpott's book reads much like the script of a play. Or, as it turns out, a libretto.

"I had tape-recorded everything," says Philpott. "When I was writing the book, I found that the voices were so powerful and poignant and truthful—and the story was so unbelievable—I thought that if I wrote it as a single-narrator, people just wouldn't believe it. It would lose the poignancy of what they were telling me."

Following the publication of "Glory Denied: The Vietnam Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War" as a book, composer Tom Cipullo contacted the author regarding the possibility of presenting the narrative as an opera.

While in development, portions of the 2006 work were presented by the New York City Opera at an annual festival. The Brooklyn College Opera Theater put it on. Then, the Chelsea Opera Company "got some really beautiful talent behind it," says Philpott. "That attracted review in the New York Times." The work was subsequently performed in May 2007 by the Brooklyn College Opera Theater.

Presented in two acts, the 78-minute opera is written for two sopranos, a tenor, a baritone, and a small orchestra. The males respectively play the younger and older versions of Jim Thompson, while the females depict the younger and older incarnations of his wife, Alyce. Past reviewers note the opera's interwoven narratives, brute-force emotions, and a modernist angularity that isn't afraid to occasionally carry a tune.

"It was only in the Arlington performance that I heard the entire libretto—the instrumentation didn't overwhelm it for the first time," says Philpott. "I could understand everything that was said. [Cipullo's] choices were all from the book—he had used all these oral histories, the words from these people, who had said them to each other. It was masterful."

Philpott credits the opera with reawakening interest in his book, which was re-released as a trade paperback in 2012. He is currently a syndicated newspaper columnist on military topics.

Thompson died of a heart attack in 2002. He was 69.

'In Their Boots' Event to Focus on Short Films Feb. 26

Two nationally recognized independent short films will be featured in a "In Their Boots Film Festival" presentation 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Feb. 26, on the Boone, Iowa campus of Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). A short Q&A session will follow, regarding the uses of the theatrical arts as a means of communicating experiences with the military.

A Facebook page for the event is here.

The event is co-sponsored by the DMACC-Boone student group In Their Boots 5k, and the Central Iowa non-profit Paws & Effect.

"Paws & Effect has a long-standing commitment to finding new ways to bring civilians and veterans closer together in mutual understanding and empathy, and the theatrical arts are a visceral, personal way to bring our stories to life," says Nicole Shumate, executive director for Paws & Effect. "We were proud to help bring The Telling Project to DMACC's Ankeny campus in 2012, and we're equally proud to partner with students at DMACC's Boone campus to put on this first-of-its-kind monthly civil-military film series."

Founded by DMACC psychology and sociology professor Sean Taylor in 2014, the In My Boots 5k is a student-run walk, run, and ruck event that promotes awareness and raises funds for area veteran-related charities. This year's event is scheduled for Sat., April 14 in Boone.

Established in 2006 and based in Des Moines, Paws & Effect is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises, trains, and places service dogs with military veterans and children diagnosed with medical needs. The group also registers therapy animals through Pet Partners. Its Beaverdale neighborhood storefront also serves as a training center, as well as home base to Troop 232 of the Dog Scouts of America.

Based on a true story, and nominated for an Academy Award in the live-action short film category, the 25-minute "Day One" (2015) tells a day-in-the-life tale about a civilian language interpreter assigned to U.S. Army platoon in Afghanistan. In her first day on the job, the main character encounters multiple physical, religious, and cultural challenges. For more information about the production, click here.

The 15-minute "A Marine's Guide to Fishing" (2011) tells a story of another first day on the job. On the first anniversary of getting blown up in Iraq, a U.S. Marine veteran returns to his civilian job repairing boat engines on the fishing docks of Southeastern Maine. Between peaceful scenery and open-arm welcomes, he confronts demons and his inner dialogue. The film was the result of a successful crowd-funding effort in 2010.

Following the presentation of the two films, 2012 "Telling: Des Moines" cast member and poet Randy Brown will facilitate a short Q&A session regarding different ways film and stage performances can help bridge gaps in understanding among military veterans and others.

'She Went to War' Opens at Guthrie Theatre March 17

Opening Friday, four military veterans perform a script based on their military experience in The Telling Project's "She Went to War," The 50-minute production will play Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays March 17 to April 2 in the Guthrie Theatre's Dowling Studio, Minneapolis.

Friday and Saturday performances are 7:30 p.m., while Sunday matinee performance are at 1 p.m. General admission seating opens 30 minutes before curtain. Tickets are $9 and may be reserved on-line here.

Cast members include:

Jenn Calaway, who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2006 as public affairs specialist, and later deployed to Afghanistan. She says struggled with the constraints of a male-dominated organization (the American military) in a male-dominated country (Afghanistan) “If it was known that the American military had a female in their ranks, they would lose respect from the Afghans. They wouldn’t want to have conversations with them or do business or work with them. I had to disguise myself as a guy most of the time."

Gretchen Evans, who served in the U.S. Army from 1979 to 2006 as an intelligence analyst and paratrooper. According to press materials, Gretchen’s career put her in the crosshairs of conflict around the globe, including Grenada, Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2006, while working as a sergeant major in Afghanistan, a mortar blast threw her into a concrete bunker wall. She suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (T.B.I.) and lost 95 percent of her hearing, ending her career in military service. "I always tell everybody I had 27 good years in the military and one really crappy day," she says. She now works as al lead veteran outreach coordinator at the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program. 

Tabitha Nichols, who served in the Army National Guard from 2003 to 2011. At age 19, Nichols was injured in a mortar attack in Forward Operating Base in Kalsu, Iraq, just days after her arrival there. "When I got out, it was like cutting loose a ball and chain. I’m gonna keep that ball and chain, but it’s not holding me back anymore. I just put it on a shelf, look at it sometimes, maybe polish it now and then,” she says.

Racheal Robinson, currently serving in the U.S. Air Force, who originally enlisted in the Army National Guard as an emancipated minor at the age of 17. “The military has been my whole adult life," she says. "It’s who I am." 

Since 2008, the Austin, Texas-based non-profit Telling Project has presented nationwide more than 40 community-based performances by military veterans, service members, and family members. Each production's script is based on interviews with cast members about their military experiences.

The all-female theatrical presentation "She Went to War" is a first for The Telling Project organization.

A website for The Telling Project is here.

A public Facebook group for The Telling Project is here.

The "She Went to War" production is also part of the Guthrie Theatre's "Level Nine" series, through which the Minneapolis organization creates opportunities for community engagement and dialogue.

'Soldier Stories' Opera at Camp Dodge, Iowa Jan. 27-29

The Des Moines (Iowa) Metro Opera opens its 45th anniversary season with a regional premiere of David T. Little's rock-infused "Soldier Songs," a one-act, multi-media production about "the loss of innocence and the difficulty of expressing the truth of war," Jan. 27-29, 2017 at the Iowa National Guard's Freedom Center armory, Camp Dodge, Iowa. Camp Dodge is located in the Des Moines suburb of Johnston.

The performance is part of the arts organization's "2nd Stages" series—community collaborations to create events in non-traditional performance spaces for opera.

According to press materials:

The opera centers on the abstract Soldier and follows his path through three different stages of his life: as a boy playing with his plastic soldiers and guns, heavily influenced by media images of heroes and war; as a young adult soldier, both thrilled and terrified by the grim reality of modern combat; and finally, as the older veteran returned home, struggling to confront his memories and consumed by grief when two marines come to tell him that his son has been killed in combat. 

The opera asks us to examine the real human costs of warfare and the part we all play as audience and media consumers in creating the culture of war and the emotionally-devastating cult of the real American hero.

"We greatly appreciate the Des Moines Metro Opera exploring the deeply personal experiences of American servicemembers and bringing forward the unique emotional, physical, mental and spiritual issues engendered by combat operations," said Col. Greg Hapgood, public affairs officer for the Iowa National Guard.

Baritone Michael Mayes will star in the performance, and composer Little will be attending the opening night. Des Moines Metro Opera Music Director and Principal Conductor David Neely will conduct the performance, which features an amplified seven-person orchestra. Audience members are cautioned that the production features strong language, simulated gunshots, explosions, and other potentially triggering sounds and visual effects.

Directed by Kristine McIntyre, and designed by Adam Crinson, the "Soldier Songs" production will also feature real military vehicles supplied by the Iowa National Guard.

Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online here, or by phone: 515.961.6221. Seating is limited. A photo identification is required for admittance to the military post.

Performances are:

• Fri., Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sat., Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sun., Jan. 29 at 2 p.m.

Each performance will be followed by a facilitated "talk back" session with audience.

A FREE preview performance for veterans will be conducted during the final dress rehearsal Thurs., Jan. 26.

A promotional video appears at link here, and below:

Combat Paper Q&A Tonight, Feb. 5 in Iowa City

   PHOTO: Fine art print by Drew Cameron, Combat Paper Project

Drew Cameron, co-founder and director of the San Francisco-based Combat Paper Project, will discuss with the public his work as a fine art papermaker, printer, and book artist. The event will be hosted by the University of Iowa Center for the Book, and will take place in Meeting Room A of the Iowa City (Iowa) Public Library, Thurs., Feb. 5, at 5 p.m. More information is here.

Cameron is a U.S. Army veteran who served from 2000-2006. Through Combat Paper workshops, he teaches other military veterans how to make paper out of discarded uniforms. He also works with the Warrior Writers national non-profit, in teaching veterans how to collect and construct books containing their art and writing.

According to a press release:

The Combat Paper Project is dedicated to using hand papermaking as a way to help veterans come home from war. By working in communities directly affected by warfare and using the uniforms and artifacts from their experiences, a transformation occurs. Through papermaking workshops, veterans use their uniforms worn in service to create works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beaten into a pulp and formed into sheets of paper. Participants use the transformative process of papermaking to reclaim their uniforms as art and express their experiences with the military.

Cameron has been operating as an artist-in-residence at the University of Iowa's Hancher arts organization in the week leading up to a weekend performance by Kronos Quartet, who will perform a World War I-themed, multi-media work titled "Beyond Zero: 1914-1918." That performance will take place 7:30 p.m. Sat., Feb. 7 7:30 p.m. at the Englert Theater. For more information, click here.

Iowa Theater Debuts Play Based on WWII Headlines

From press release information:

A new play recreates what life was like in small Midwestern towns during the World War II years using stories from interviews, old letters, family lore, and wartime editions of The Columbus (Iowa) Gazette. Written by small town natives Rick Williams and Ron Clark, "A Grateful Nation" will premiere as a script-in-hand performance for two shows only at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert Street, Iowa City, Iowa on Sat., Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Nov. 16 at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for Riverdog season pass holders. Veterans, military personnel and their immediate family receive a 20 percent discount off of regular adult-priced tickets as part of Riverside’s Blue Star Theatre Program. Click here for more information, or call the box office at: 319.338.7672.

The events and anecdotes in the play are centered on stories and people from Columbus Junction, Iowa—a town where authors Williams and Clark grew up, about 35 miles southeast of Iowa City .

"Though the majority of the stories we tell are about people in our town, anyone from any town could do the research and uncover similar tales." says Clark, who is also directing the play. Adds Williams, "It would be a stretch to say these stories are universal, but they are certainly national. Every American living in the early 1940s was affected by the events of the war--and so were those of us who came after them."

Professional actors reading from the script will each play multiple characters. The cast includes Jody Hovland, Sean DeMers, Jack Sharkey, and Katherine Slaven. Drew Bielinski will complete the show with lighting and projection design.

Clark and Williams were childhood classmates in Columbus Junction. They eventually migrated to Iowa City, where they have each lived for more than 30 years. Family obligations and work commitments limited their time together.

About a year ago, Williams and Clark were inspired to collaborate on "A Grateful Nation." Writing for theater is nothing new for Clark. He and his wife, Jody Hovland are two of the co-founders of Riverside Theatre. Ron has authored three previous plays, including two about small town Iowa life. Williams is a newcomer to playwriting but is a historian with a journalism background, working as a newspaper reporter before becoming an editor for ACT, where he spent 29 years before retiring.

There will be post-performance talkbacks after both shows with the writers and actors.

Lawton, Okla. is Site of 2015 Military and Arts Event

The Richmond, Ky.-based non-profit Military Experience & the Arts (M.E.A.) recently announced plans for a May 14-17, 2015 symposium of military veterans, advocates, arts practitioners, and others interested in exploring healing, history, and communication through the expressive arts. The event will take place on the campus of Cameron University, Lawton, Okla.

The organization's inaugural 3-day event, conducted July 2012 in Kentucky, comprised workshops, demonstrations, and performances by an engaged and diverse group of veterans, advocates, and artists.

Past "Red Bull Rising" blog coverage of the MEA organization and its related literary journals is collected here. A blog post reflecting on the 2012 event is here.

The MEA is currently seeking corporate and organizational sponsors for the 2015 event, as well as potential workshop presenters and facilitators. The group is also seeking volunteers to assist with activities at the event.

Starting Aug. 15, military veterans and spouses can register for a non-refundable $20 fee. Information about meals, lodging, and other accommodations is still pending.

In related news, the MEA has recently reopened submissions to its family of literary journals. Writers are encouraged to submit original fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and visual art through the organization's new Submittable portal. Simultaneous and previously published submissions are not accepted.

One caveat: Writers considering submission are strongly encouraged to review the organization's copyright and privacy statements. Because of previous licensing relationship, for example, submissions published in The Journal of Military Experience remain the intellectual property of Eastern Kentucky University following publication.

Come Run 'In My Boots' 5k April 19, Boone, Iowa

An "In My Boots" 5k run, walk, or ruck march will be sponsored by the athletics department of the Des Moines Area Community College, located in Boone, Iowa, Sat., April 19, 2014.

The event location will be McHose Park in Boone. Individual registration is $25 before April 7; same-day registration is $30; team registration is $80. Proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Project. At the event, food and clothing donations will also be collected for area homeless shelters.

According to press materials:

5K run/walk/ruck: The 5K will be a loop around McHose Park in Boone, Iowa. Individuals can also compete in the ruck-march that will cross through the woods and streams around the park. A limited number of ruck-sacks will be available on race day. If possible, bring your own. Please preload your ruck with non-perishable and clothing items to donate to a local shelter.

Ruck March: Current military members and veterans are eligible to participate in a team ruck-march competition. Each team will consist of 4 members carrying packs weighing at least 30 pounds. Weight limit will be waived if packs are filled with donations for local shelters. The first complete team to cross the finish line together will be awarded the first ever “In My Boots-Team Ruck-March” award and have bragging rights throughout the year.

For a PDF registration form, click here.

To donate on-line directly to the Wounded Warrior Project in the name of the "In My Boots" event, click here.

For more information about the event, contact:

• DMACC Athletic Director Orv Salmon at: 515.433.5050; ojsalmon AT dmacc.edu

• Journalism and law instructor Julie Roosa at: 515.433.5215; jkroosa AT dmacc.edu

The institution's faculty, staff, and students have a history of supporting military and veterans issues, including the 2012 theatrical production of "Telling: Des Moines." Approximately 650 DMACC students are military veterans and beneficiaries using G.I. Bill benefits.

Des Moines Area Community College, a public institution serving the educational and career training needs of Iowans, is committed to the lifelong success of its students. As Iowa’s largest two-year college, DMACC offers 150 programs, certificates and transfer degrees, annually serving more than 75,000 credit and noncredit students on six campuses and in five learning centers. Thanks to college-wide innovation, new programs and affordable tuition, DMACC has experienced record growth and today is the 15th fastest growing two-year college in America. For more information, click here.

'Telling: Minnesota' to Play at Carleton College Feb. 22

A production of "Telling: Minnesota," a collection of military veterans' stories originally staged at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, will be presented at 2 p.m, Sat. Feb. 22, at the Weitz Theater on the campus of Carleton College, Northfield, Minn.

Tickets are available FREE in groups up to four via on-line registration here.

The Northfield performance reprises an October 2013 production, which was presented at the Guthrie Theater's Dowling Studio.

As in other Telling Project productions, playwrights generate scripts based on long hours of interviews with the veterans themselves. Then, they work with those veterans to interweave stories into a unique, 3-act stage performance.

Since 2008, Telling Project performances have been conducted in more than 30 cities and eight states nationwide. This will be the first in Minnesota. For more information on the Austin, Texas-based non-profit organization, visit: thetellingproject.org.

According to press materials, "Telling: Minnesota" features stories that:

range from capture and escape in Southeast Asia and Scud missile attacks in Saudi Arabia, to accompanying Lynn Anderson to the Marine Corps Ball, flying injured soldiers out of Iraq and Afghanistan, [and] repairing helicopters in South Korea and military sexual trauma in the Army. "Telling: Minnesota" is an unvarnished look at the heroism, absurdity, horror, wonder and banality of military life as told by the Minnesotans to whom these things happened.

Special 'O-Dark-Thirty' Spotlights Summer Workshop

The Veterans Writing Program, Washington, D.C. has released a special edition of its print and on-line literary journal, "O-Dark-Thirty." The issue's content was created in a summer writing and film-making seminar on the Mount Vernon campus of George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

The 2013 event was part of a veterans writing initiative sponsored by the university's writing program.

More than 40 military service members, veterans, and family members from around the nation participated in the week-long residential seminar. There, they crafted films, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and plays.

The resulting special issue is available on-line as a free PDF download here. The issue features seven works of non-fiction, six poems, and two plays. This is the second time plays or scripts have been presented on the pages of "O-Dark-Thirty," which has been published since spring 2013.

Instructors at the seminar included:

• Joseph Bathanti, poetry

• Mark Farrington, fiction

• Kelly Kennedy, non-fiction

• KJ Sanchez, playwriting

The allied non-profit Patton Veterans Project, New York, N.Y. also supported the event via its I Was There Film Workshops.

The non-profit organization was founded by Benjamin Patton, the youngest grandson of World War II Gen. George S. Patton, and author of 2012's "Growing Up Patton." The organization's work focuses addressing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) and Traumatic Brain Injury (T.B.I.) through film and narrative. At the June 2013 seminar, film-making instructors also included Christina Raia, Minos Papas, Sean Mannion, and Alex Arbogast.

Seven short films created by seminar participants can be viewed on-line here.

A website for the Patton Veterans Project is here. A Facebook page is here.

A website for the Veterans Writing Project is here. A Facebook page is here. The organization's "O-Dark-Thirty" literary journal website is here. Single issues or 4-issue subscriptions are available here.

The cover of the special "O-Dark-Thirty" issue was designed by veteran Janis Albuquerque.