“Average Americans don’t have a clue what military families go through” —Kenneth Fisher, CEO, Fisher House Foundation
For many civilians, the realities of war are just images on the local news from far-off lands in upheaval. Most only hear about war from talking heads, not from those who lived it. In Telling: San Antonio, a performance piece organized by playwright Jonathan Wei, veterans and their families were given a voice to share their experiences. A dozen local vets from all walks of life practiced their monologues for weeks and presented their stories at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. What they said will make you laugh, and make you cry.
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Local veterans shared their war experiences during a three-act play.
Each talked about enlistment, boot camp, deployment and coming home.
Their stories will make you laugh, make you cry and help you understand.
Gregg Barrios is a playwright, poet and journalist. He is a 2013 USC Annenberg Getty Fellow. He serves on the board of directors of the National Book Critics Circle. He is a former book editor of the San Antonio Express-News. Barrios received a CTG-Mark Taper Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Grant, and a 2013 Artist Foundation Grant for his theater work.
Dee Bartlett is a native Texan, raised in San Marcos, Texas. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Texas State University. Dee joined the Army in 1996 and served seven years and was honorably discharged in 2003. Following her service in the Army, Dee worked as a probation and parole officer in both Tennessee and Texas until 2013.
Thomas J. Crane was born in San Antonio, Texas. He served 28 years in the Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his time in Iraq in 2006. Tom served in the Infantry and Civil Affairs branches and retired as a Lieutenant-Colonel in 2008. He is the father of two sons.
Donna Engeman has spent nearly her entire life around the Army, from her birth at Fort Sheridan, Illinois where her father was stationed, to enlisting herself. In 1983, while stationed in Wuerzburg, Germany, she married SGT John Engeman. Tragically, John was killed while serving in Iraq in May 2006. Today Donna supports other surviving Family members and spends her spare time doting on her two beautiful granddaughters.
Linda Fisher is the wife, sister, and daughter of veterans. She has been connected with the military all her life. As a young child, Linda’s military father was gone more than he was home. Linda has been teaching middle school for 18 years and is the self-appointed family historian. Married for 33 years, Linda and her husband have one daughter and one grandson.
Marcella Garcia is originally from Toledo, Ohio and has been in the military community 22 years. She served in the Air Force and is an Army spouse. She was stationed at Kelly AFB, and with her husband moved 14 times. She experienced deployments and geographic separations. She served as an FRG President, Ft. Sam Houston Spouses’ Club President and Master Trainer for the Armed Forces Team Building program.
CarrieAnn Grayson was born in San Antonio into a military family and moved around the world her whole life. In 2001, she graduated Cum Laude from Campbell University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications. After graduation, she was commissioned into the US Army as a Signal Officer. In 2008, she was medically separated from the Army and moved back to San Antonio. She received her Texas teaching certificate in 2009 and has been teaching middle school technology ever since.
John Kirby is from Winchester, KY, and joined the Army in 1997 to see the world. He served at Ft. Benning, Columbia, SC, and Ft. Riley, KS, where he deployed to Infantry Division (The Big Red One). John holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration-Information Systems from the University of Texas at San Antonio. John is married to Rebekah and they have three children-Kayla, Jared, and Jack.
Salina Loriaux graduated from Parsons The New School for Design and worked as a graphic designer in NYC. After experiencing 9/11, she enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a Korean Linguist, Intelligence Analyst. During her military service, her husband became a WTU soldier at Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC). Her time at BAMC as a service member and military spouse re-ignited her passion for healing arts.
Jules Vaquera was enlisted in the USAF from 2000-2006. After she left she found The Overtime Theater where she helped found the theater’s non-profit organization. She performs there and participates as a worker-bee to further their mission in creating live, local, and original theater whenever she has the chance. The Telling Project is all of those things and she’s delighted to take part.
“This is real theater – what we hope for – and connects us with a very important national issue.”
“Very real and honest.”
“Powerful, truthful, very touching, gave me a clearer picture of the military.”
“I can’t say that doing the Telling Project is something that is easy for me to do. It was painful. I hate remembering that dark stuff. But, I really do believe that telling my story is part of my healing journey from PTSD, depression and alcoholism.”