Hello friends,
On this Memorial Day, please, I implore you, enjoy your beer and BBQ. (I know I have; I’m already 2 BBQ’s and…..many beers in.) But I’m also asking you please to take a moment to remember what Memorial Day is all about….. and then consider that you can DO MORE.
One of my reasons for moving to LA was to be part of the work being done by the Veterans Center for the Performing Arts (VCPA) who use theater to help soldiers make the transition from the military to civilian life, and I have been commissioned by them to create a play based on the writings of Sgt. Nicholas John Corea, USMC.
Nick was a St. Louisan and Vietnam vet who came home after 2 tours to become a writer and producer on TV shows that include “The Incredible Hulk” and “Walker, Texas Ranger”–stories that played in millions of American homes. But he never really got the chance to tell the story of what he experienced in Vietnam…until NOW. With the support of Nick’s family we have been granted permission to turn the stories he wrote about his experiences in Vietnam into a play that explores both the struggle of serving in combat and the battle that continues when soldiers come home and try to make lives for themselves in the civilian world.
This summer we want to workshop the play in order to ready it for production. For one full week, our director, dramaturg, actors and writer (yes, that’s me) will convene at a space in Carmel Valley to work on the play we’ve created. Our days will be spent rehearsing, rewriting, learning what we’ve got, and how to make it better–all with the ultimate goal of mounting a fully realized production in the very near future. But we need your help to make it happen. We have just launched a campaign on Kickstarter to help fund this project and we’re inviting you to be a part of it all.
By donating to the VCPA’s Writers Recon 2011: “Operation Padre,” you’ll be helping to support the basic needs of a bunch of hard-working people. We need transportation to and from Carmel Valley and we need to eat while we’re there. We also need to pay for upkeep of the space we’ll be using. So that’s where you can help–and let me be crystal clear here: EVERY DOLLAR HELPS.
(And every dollar is tax-deductible.)
I have never considered enlisting and have often disagreed with our reasons for sending soldiers into harm’s way, but I have and continue to stand by and support the men and women who put their lives on the line every day. Please join me. Take a stand, be a part of the mission, and support both new plays and those members of our society who have sacrificed so much for all of us. Donate today by checking out our Kickstarter campaign here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1429458144/writers-recon-cause-we-dont-retreat-operation-padr?ref=live
And if you believe in what we’re doing please forward this to friends and loved ones.
Hope everyone is well,
Tim
http://www.twitter.com/@VCPA_Recon
And LIKE us on Facebook so we can get our own, original username!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/VCPA-Writers-Recon-2011/142196335853431
Tim J. Lord 
Tim, we met on the way back from North Dome yesterday, and I have discovered another link. Nick Corea was married to my sister. I was pretty surprised to find that out- I am impressed by the VCPA and will send in a donation. I have spent many years ‘bringing the troops home’ and know that when they do come home they need so much support. For some reason we met on the trail and took the time find out a little bit about each other. Best of luck in New York and where ever you find yourself. Thank you for doing such profound work.
Christie Kelley