Northern Stage’s The Big Read Focuses on Veterans

Vermont has the highest per-capita rate of National Guard participation in the nation. So when the National Endowment for the Arts invited Northern Stage to conduct a statewide installment of "The Big Read" program, the choice of a focus book seemed clear.

"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien takes us back to the days of the Vietnam War, presenting a series of fictional stories based on the very real experiences of soldiers deep in the quagmire of battle. But this is much more than a history lesson; the book launched Northern Stage's effort to inspire advanced literacy by high school students throughout the state, the creation of new works of art, and a living dialogue about the fate of returning veterans that could have enormous public-policy implications.

"The Big Read" kick-off event will be held Sat., April 2 at the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction, VT with guest speakers including Northern Stage's Catherine Doherty, Vietnam veteran Michael Heaney and Pat Barrett from the Center for Cartoon Studies. Doherty will tell personal stories about the effects of combat on the human spirit and discuss the power of storytelling. Heaney, the keynote speaker, will share his experience in Vietnam, his journey since returning, and his relationship to O'Brien's book.

Barrett will deliver a talk about why graphic storytelling is important to him and will present a visual history on expression through cartoons during times of war.

This event launches six weeks of programming, concluding with "Carry It Forward," a multi-media event on May 14 produced by Northern Stage featuring readings from O'Brien's book by noted performers, original works by students and veterans, and projections of student-created graphic strips.

"The Big Read-Vermont" includes an in-school residency, a film series, a series of library events and a day of lectures, student performances, workshops and panel discussions.

For more information about "The Big Read-Vermont," visit the Northern Stage website at www.northernstage.org or call Community Engagement Manager Kyle Silliman-Smith at 802-291-9009, ext. 26.

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