Nov 9, 2009 6:07 pm US/Eastern
Play Shows What It's Like To Serve In Military
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
-
-
With Veterans Day on Wednesday, a group of teens found out firsthand what it means to be a soldier in today's military.
CBS
With Veterans Day on Wednesday, a group of teens found out firsthand what it means to be a soldier in today's military.
As
Mike Schuh reports, they filled the Hippodrome Theatre to see the nationally acclaimed production of the show "Letters From Home."
On an ordinary day in Baltimore, 2,000 high school students learned about the extraordinary at the Hippodrome. The acclaimed production is called "Letters From Home."
"This is an artistic expression about the real world and what's going on in Iraq and Afghanistan and there's no candy coating it," said Olive Waxter, Hippodrome Foundation.
"What I wouldn't give to make this all go away to be with you again," one letter reads.
These are actors, reading from real-life letters soldiers sent home to their families.
"Afghanistan is the worst of everything--a combination of tribalism and radical Islam. You couldn't come up with a worse combination for destroying all hope," a letter reads.
"Education through live theater can be a very powerful tool for students and teachers," Waxter said.
"It was very emotional for me," said Towson High student Marcella Labellarte.
"I think it's safe to say I hate everything here. I haven't taken a shower since the beginning of March," a letter read.
"The more difficult part is how much they miss their family and how much they wait for mail runs," said Northwestern High student Rashedda Nedd.
To get here, all of the students had to write their own letter to a soldier.
There is hope that when the lights fade, some teens will be touched.
"There are students who have never seen live theater before. We do reach them and it's something they will remember their entire life," Waxter said.
"It may not have been perfect grammar or perfect usage but that's the way we talked. I remember in Vietnam, that's the way we talked over there," said Towson High teacher Don Leifert.
Much of the $22,000 cost for Monday's show came from a grant from the Maryland Humanities Council. The rest came from funds raised by the Hippodrome Foundation. The students saw the performance for free.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
