Embedded Files
This room of the Preamble invites you to witness a conversation between two characters. Kendal Janzen, the Narrator, and Kermit Brown, the Vet, engage in an unscripted conversation about war, their lives, and everything in between.
As you listen in, take note of what your reactions. What do you find interesting? Does anything surprise you? At the bottom of this page is an opportunity for you to share those thoughts with other audience members.
DR. KERMIT BROWN
DR. KERMIT BROWN
Healing Wars includes a character, the Vet, intended to be portrayed by a real life veteran. In this production, the Vet is played by Dr. Kermit Brown, a Lecturer in Leadership & Integrative Studies at Arizona State University. He also holds positions as Faculty Fellow with the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, and an Affiliated Faculty member with the Veteran and Military Academic Studies program.
Dr. Brown is a Marine Corps Gulf War veteran. In an interview with dramaturg Max Plata, he offered details about his experience in the military, which closely echo that of the character he portrays in Healing Wars. In speaking of bringing his character to life, he says: "It's neat because I don't need to act... Because I lived it. I am him."
Click to listen to Dr. Kermit Brown talk about the experience of performing in Healing Wars.
veteran voices
veteran voices
At times, it can be easy to think of the members of a group as sharing a collective mind about one topic or another. It is important to consider that veterans, like any other group, have a range of opinions about the wars they serve in.
In the aftermath of the War in Afghanistan, people are asking the question: Was it worth it? To hear from veterans about the end of the war, follow these links.
Video: Veterans React to the Taliban Taking Over Afghanistan
“It’s hard not to feel a sense of guilt, a sense of shame, as a veteran who feels like maybe he or she could have done more to affect a better outcome. I had sleepless nights… and I wonder - the decision makers, the lawmakers, the politicians - were they sleeping last night?”
Article: 'Were all of our sacrifices wasted?' War veterans react to stunning Afghanistan collapse
“There’s a very defined, clear, loud group that feels like, as much as we hate what’s happening, it was time for the war to end. At the same time, there’s another very clear, outspoken group that says we’re betraying the Afghans, and we’re walking away from an opportunity to have done something really good."
“I desperately want to believe that we are still a country that believes in keeping our word, but over the past several years, I’ve begun to worry that the truth may just be a relic of a time long past… we must be a country that keeps our promises and always lives up to the ideals we say guide us. And we must never leave our partners behind.”
share your thoughts!
share your thoughts!
Below is an interactive site on which you can share your thoughts about Healing Wars with other audience members. Feel free to post a comment on a thread, or start your own post! To open in a new browser tab, click here.
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