"War Stories" to Be Performed at Proctor's April 24

“Nobody loves peace more than the soldier who has to fight for it.” -- from “War Stories”

“War Stories,” a compelling multi-vocal performance of staged readings recounting the effects of war, is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24 at Proctor’s Theater in Schenectady. The piece comprises original stories, poems and essays read by members of the college community – including one alumnus Ryan Smithson, a veteran, who is also the author of “Ghost Stories” -- and professional actors. The idea for “War Stories” grew out of a class of the same name taught by mentors Claudia Hough and Elaine Handley at the Northeast Center (NEC).

The event is free and open to the community, and will be streamed live at http://choose.esc.edu/events/war-stories/.

“No war ends.
Men stalk themselves
for years
in silent waves of names.”
– from “War Stories”

The material for the script was solicited from college students, staff and faculty. From the submissions received, Hough, Handley and NEC mentor Cindy Bates wove together the selected stories and poems into a 75-minute performance, directed by Bates. The script represents the voices of many men and women who either have been to war as combatants or were impacted on the home front, losing loved ones. The performance has no political agenda, but invites the audience to come to a deeper understanding of how human beings respond to the experience.

For more information, contact Handley, Hough or Bates.