The result is a play,ĢżHow to Leave a Battlefield, which will be performed on campus
Wars tend to be remembered for their battlefield glory or decisive military action, not for soldiersā recovery and reintegration into civilian life. A CU Boulder senior, however, is using theatre and veteransā own words to change that.Ģż
Sean Guderian takes a break during rehearsal. At the top of the page, he works with a student actor.ĢżCU Boulder photos by Patrick Campbell.
When Sean Guderian was a freshman, an English class writing assignment propelled him on a four-year search for answers he found by interviewing military veterans. He recorded many hours of interviews with veterans of wars and conflicts. As he listened to their combat stories, he asked them what happened after.Ģż
āI wanted to know how soldiers come home as veterans and live out the rest of their lives after living through the most extreme dangers and responsibilities life can throw at you,ā said Guderian, who is majoring in theatre performance and journalism.
The culmination of his work isĢżHow to Leave a Battlefield, a stage play Guderian wrote using transcripts from some of the recorded interviews in the hopes of shining a light on soldiers transitioning to civilian life. His play will be presented April 16 and 17 at 7 p.m.; and April 20 at 2 p.m., in the Loft Theatre, in the CU Boulder Theatre Building.
"I think that what most people don't realize is that for war vets, the real war doesn't start until after they leave the battlefield. Which is the fight for their own existence."
Erik Lincoln Stevenson, infantry machine gunner and Marine scout sniper, United States Marine Corps, 1996ā2000
"Yeah, I find that people who go through trauma and heal and help repair themselves are really . . .Ģżawesome human beings."
Robert Sampson, infantry, 196th and 198th Light Infantry Brigade, Vietnam, 1971ā72
Guderian was studying English when the project began. His writing group at the time,Ģż, visited Frazier Meadows, a Boulder retirement community, to entertain the residents with essays and short stories. During the visit, he met with two World War II veterans who shared stories about their experiences in combat. These stories gave Guderian a glimpse into the extent of what they encounteredāāboth incredible and horrific.āĢż
Hearing their wartime experiences gave Guderian the idea for a theatre project that focused on the veteransā return to civilian life rather than their time spent in combat. Not everyone was willing to have their raw stories open and bare on the stage. After speaking to about 30 veterans, he wrote a play using the testimonials of seven.Ģż
āI didnāt want to focus on the pain of war,ā he said. āAnd while it did come up, and thereās some of it in the play to place things in context, it was important that we didnāt dwell on that. The message in the show is healing and how the veterans felt they were supported after they came back.ā
āHow do you leave a battlefield?ā was always the primary question, and the answers Guderian received varied. Many of the veterans he talked with will never leave the battlefield in their minds. Others were more optimistic.Ģż
āItās so easy to generalize a soldier,ā Guderian said. āHereās someone who signed up, gone to war, and when they returned are hurt by that. I was interested in the relationship with their service and how they live today.Ģż
āFor as bad as things were for them, Iāve had veterans say they donāt regret joining and serving, because of how much they learned through the experience. In juxtaposition of that, there are situations where they carried out orders they regret,ā he said. āThey have to find a way to live with that.āĢżĢż
Guderian is framing his play based on the style of playwright and actor Anna Deavere Smith, widely recognized for developing a form of theatre dedicated to social change.Ģż
Guderian was introduced to this style of testimonial theatre in a class taught by Cecilia Pang, associate professor in theatre and dance at CU Boulder. Pang, who is Guderianās faculty advisor, served as Smithās assistantĢżon the 1994 premiere ofĢżTwilight: Los Angeles 1992Ģżabout the LosĢżAngeles riots.
Drawing on her own experience with this specialized type of performance, based on the testimonials of real people, but presented by actors on a minimal set, Pang coached Guderian on how to conduct interviews for this documentary-type theatre performance. She alsoĢżtaught him how to āconduct, transcribe and enact the interviewsā in Smithās style. Ģż
āItās fascinating to see how the veterans opened up to Sean,ā Pang said. āHis script is genuine. Itās about authenticity. This show is a new technique for our students, because itās not covered in CUās curriculum. The experience has been a truly worthy endeavor for Sean. What has impressed me so much about Sean is that he has a vision, initiative and followed through with it.ā
Where:ĢżLoft TheaterĢż(C370) CU Boulder Theater Building
Cost: Free and open to the public
For his project, Guderian received a grant from CU Boulderās Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. UROP helps students develop their own projects under the mentorship of a faculty member. Guderianās grant will go toward paying the student actors and crew.
This will be Guderianās first stage show that he produced and directed.
āSean is very clear on this show,ā Pang said. āItās his single-minded pursuit of a dream.ā
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