On Her Shoulders was produced and performed by Rising Action in the spring of 2013. The multi-media theater piece celebrated and applauded the lives of nine female veterans. The cast was composed of eight high-school girls with varying theater experience.
After contacting willing veterans and selecting a cast, Noelle invited us all to meet at the VA where she led a workshop for the veteran women to write and talk about their lives and insights. A videographer and a photographer documented the day.
The session at the VA was valuable beyond measure. The veterans were generous with their time and in sharing themselves. They spoke with a raw honesty. Their words painted vibrant images that captivated the young actors. In turn, the cast’s insights and curiosity complimented the veterans’ reflections.
After the workshop, Noelle, Amelia, and the cast began brainstorming on how to meld the material we gathered from the veterans into a theatrical production.
As playwright, Amelia was privileged to transcribe the women’s accounts to script. Their strong characters shined through their words to create beautiful art.
In rehearsal, the actors oozed affecting commiseration. The On Her Shoulders ensemble was impassioned. We melded our wide-ranged perspectives to present the veteran women’s plights on stage. It became our duty to honor these women and extend the gift of their testimonies to the audience.
On Her Shoulders took strides to bridge the gap between female veterans and the rest of us. The stage closed this distance and reminded us we are the same; we are all people struggling with and celebrating the human experience.
Our spring productions were sold out and very well-received. We were featured in The Metroland (http://metroland.net/2013/05/08/war-stories/), twice in The Times Union (http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Raising-curtain-on-fear-4500599.php and http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Female-veterans-find-stage-might-4952082.php), and in The Daily Gazette (http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2013/may/09/play-gives-voice-female-veterans/). We sold-out two encore presentations that fall.
Watch an On Her Shoulders behind the scenes video on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw1LiK9nmZs
