 |
|||||||
HOME
|
SILENT
MEN SPEAKING Created,
Directed and Choreographed by Carl Thomsen SILENT MEN SPEAKING is a gut-wrenching theater piece that dramatizes the experiences of three veterans before during and after the Vietnam War. Created, directed, and performed by Carl Thomsen, SILENT MEN SPEAKING compiles stories, dance, music, and poetry based on the oral histories of veterans David Bianchini, Allen Gaskell, and Robert Vinson. The award winning poetry of W.D. Ehrhart, Yusef Komunyakaa, Elliot Richman, Bruce Weigl is woven seamlessly into the narrative. Hard-hitting and honest, SILENT MEN SPEAKING chronicles the effect of war while not taking political sides. It neither condemns nor condones war. It simply attempts to put a human face on war, lest we forget its true human cost. From the moment Thomsen plummets onto the stage from a helicopter, to the desperate moments leading to his extraction one hour later, you, the audience are spellbound. Suddenly you find yourself on a mission with Thomsen into the dark and deadly jungles of these men's memories. There are no props, no special effects. Only Thomsen. You laugh with him, feel his fear, sorrow, and love. You cry with him (unabashedly and often). The dance sequences transport you deeper still, beyond words, into the unspeakable. Not sure at times if he (and you) will make it out alive, you remind yourself, "These men made it through." RESPONSES One woman said, "My father never ever talked about his time in Vietnam until after he saw Silent Men Speaking. That night he just opened up. We were shocked." Another woman, who lost her husband in the war, remarked, "It had such a deeply moving effect on me, I didn't know if I should laugh, cry, or throw-up!" Referring to Thomsen's uncanny rendition of a Huey helicopter, a chopper pilot from the Korean War told him, "Boy, you sure got that right!" Martin Ray, a Vietnam veteran, simply emailed his friends, "This show will take your breath away - see it." Everyone who has seen SILENT MEN SPEAKING has expressed the hope that the show will be seen by more people. To this end, we are currently booking colleges, universities, high schools, and small theaters for the 2006-07 seasons. A website is currently being constructed at www.SilentMenSpeaking.com Note: Though there is no inappropriate language, gunfire, explosions or blood (as in other dramatic depictions of war), because of the deeply emotional nature of the material, we recommend the show for older children (12+) and adults. For
more information and bookings contact: |
||||||
|
|||||||
