‘She Went To War’ showcases female veterans
BY CARSON HUGHES, A&E EDITOR
“She Went To War” is a show currently being performed at the Guthrie Theater’s Dowling Studio. The play is the fourth Guthrie production to be part of The Telling Project, a nationwide theatrical program that uses the artistic lens of theater to help veterans share their stories. This play focuses on the real-life stories of four female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The mission of “She Went To War” and others like it is to further public understand- ing of military life through real contact with veterans. Founder Jonathan Wei and senior writer Max Rayneard hope that building this type of understanding with the help of performance can teach communities how to help ease veterans back into civilian life.
The show focuses on four stories. The first follows Gretchen Evans who tells a tension-filled story about when her group became separated during a mission and having to lead them to safety by climbing up a mountain in enemy territory. Tabitha Nichols’ story focuses on having to adjust to life after combat. After being wounded in the Iraq war, she began to struggle with the realities of depression.
Racheal Robinson found herself unprepared for what military life would be like. After 16 months in Iraq, she also began to struggle while adjusting to civilian life. She decided that she wanted to work to help other people understand what life in the military is like.
Jenn Calaway’s story follows a person who dealt with the cold realities of war through drinking. She became an alcoholic throughout her time in Afghanistan, but her tale ends with a journey towards sobriety.The last showings are at 7:30 p.m. on April 1-2 and at 1 p.m. on April 3.