AND--AND THE MILITARY AND THEATER COMMUNITIES
ARE ACTUALLY VERY SIMILAR.
YOU HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE
TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH A MISSION GREATER THAN THEMSELVES,
IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU,
YOU HAVE A ROLE,
YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR ROLE WITHIN THAT TEAM,
EVERY TEAM HAS A LEADER OR A DIRECTOR,
SOMETIMES THEY'RE SMART, SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT,
YOU'RE FORCED TO BE INTIMATE WITH--WITH COMPLETE STRANGERS
IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME,
THE--THE SELF-DISCIPLINE, THE SELF-MAINTENANCE.
I THOUGHT HOW GREAT WOULD IT BE TO CREATE A SPACE
THAT COMBINED THESE TWO SEEMINGLY DISSIMILAR COMMUNITIES
THAT BROUGHT ENTERTAINMENT TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT,
CONSIDERING THEIR OCCUPATION,
COULD HANDLE SOMETHING A BIT MORE THOUGHT PROVOKING
THAN THE TYPICAL MANDATORY FUN EVENTS
THAT I REMEMBER BEING "VOLUN-TOLD" TO GO TO
IN THE MILITARY,
ALL WELL INTENDED, BUT SLIGHTLY OFFENSIVE EVENTS,
LIKE "WIN A DATE WITH A SAN DIEGO CHARGERS CHEERLEADER,"
WHERE YOU ANSWER A QUESTION ABOUT POP CULTURE,
AND IF YOU GET IT RIGHT, YOU WIN A DATE,
WHICH WAS A CHAPERONED WALK AROUND THE PARADE DECK
WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, ALREADY MARRIED, PREGNANT CHEERLEADER--
NOTHING AGAINST CHEERLEADERS, I LOVE CHEERLEADERS.
THE--THE POINT IS MORE HOW GREAT WOULD IT BE
TO HAVE THEATER PRESENTED THROUGH CHARACTERS
THAT WERE ACCESSIBLE WITHOUT BEING CONDESCENDING.
SO WE STARTED THIS NON-PROFIT CALLED ARTS IN THE ARMED FORCES
WHERE--WHERE WE TRIED TO DO THAT,
TRIED TO JOIN THESE TWO SEEMINGLY DISSIMILAR COMMUNITIES.
WE--WE PICK A PLAY
OR SELECT MONOLOGUES FROM CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN PLAYS
THAT ARE DIVERSE IN AGE AND RACE LIKE A MILITARY AUDIENCE IS,
GRAB A GROUP OF INCREDIBLE THEATER-TRAINED ACTORS,
ARM THEM WITH INCREDIBLE MATERIAL,
KEEP PRODUCTION VALUE AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE--
NO SETS, NO COSTUMES, NO LIGHTS, JUST READING IT--
TO THROW ALL THE EMPHASIS ON THE LANGUAGE
AND TO SHOW THAT THEATER CAN BE CREATED IN ANY SETTING.
AND IT'S A POWERFUL THING,
GETTING IN A ROOM WITH COMPLETE STRANGERS
AND REMINDING US-- OURSELVES OF OUR HUMANITY,
AND THAT SELF-EXPRESSION IS JUST AS VALUABLE A TOOL
AS A RIFLE ON YOUR SHOULDER,
AND I CAN THINK OF NO BETTER COMMUNITY
TO ARM WITH THE NEW MEANS OF SELF-EXPRESSION
THAN THOSE PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY.