Naval Medical Center San Diego Hosts 'Theater of War' to Heal

From Naval Medical Center San Diego Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) hosted the 114th performance of "Theater of War" - a dramatic reading of two ancient Greek plays followed by a town hall discussion about the challenges faced by combat service members and veterans for approximately 150 members of the community Sept. 20.

A project of the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), Theater of War is conducting performances and town hall meetings in military communities across the nation in an effort to reduce stigma and encourage service members to seek needed assistance for psychological health concerns.

"No one returns from combat without being affected," said Commander, Naval Medical Center San Diego, Rear Adm. C. Forrest Faison III. "War can expose many of our staff and patients to horrific things, but this is a safe place to talk about it, seek care, and start to heal."

The production began with a performance from professional actors who read a modern translation of two plays written by Sophocles, a Greek general officer and renowned playwright from 400 B.C.

Cast members participating in the performance, included Reg E. Cathey, Josh Hamilton, Erica Tazel and Frank Harts.

"Ajax" tells the story of a Trojan War hero who is driven to madness by the same habits that made him a legend on the battlefield. "Philoctetes" is about a warrior whose men abandon him on an island because of an injury.

The follow-on town hall session started with comments from a panel of members who responded without prepared or rehearsed remarks about what they saw and heard in the plays that connected with their own experiences at war and at home.

The panel featured Capt. Paul Hammer, director, Naval Center for Combat and Operational Stress Control; Lisa Marcolongo, a Marine Corps spouse; Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. David Rhode, a Purple Heart recipient; and Jack Lyons, a Vietnam veteran. All panel members offered their personal insights on deployment and reintegration into society, which helped facilitate audience discussion.

"One of the things I got from the plays was when the character Tecmessa (Ajax's wife), asked for help from Ajax's friends and comrades," said Marcolongo. "After my husband's second deployment to Iraq his buddies traveled from all over to be with us in Texas and help him."

Doerries, the New York based writer, translator, director, educator and founder of Theater of War remarked, "These events offer powerful opportunities for the audience to safely discuss and constructively reflect on physical and emotional injury, death and life-threatening experiences; stigma, grief and loss, supportive relationships and the timeless relevance of these lessons in prolonged combat."

Working with producing partner Phyllis Kaufman, Doerries has been presenting readings of his translations to military communities since 2008.

For more information on Theater of War, visit: http://www.theater-of-war.com/about.html.