Hello! My name is Gwen Hornig and I am a rising senior in Gallatin developing a concentration (currently) titled Theatre of War.
My research project, War: The Human Experience, is an extrapolation from a collaborative creative endeavor in the Spring that culminated in a dramatic performance at the Gallatin Arts Festival titled, Theatre of War Series. The performance was the result of scattered research throughout the semester. We interviewed a couple veterans, read some war plays, and watched some movies. From that research, my collaborator and I wrote, directed, and acted in a three-part showcase of material rooted in the information we had gathered and the questions fueling our intellectual and artistic endeavor.
As we developed the piece in the Spring, I realized that the major questions framing our interests were much too large and complex to address in the short development time that we had. I realized that I still did not have the empathetic understanding I desired, and needed, in order to write and perform a piece that engaged truthfully and respectfully with the stories shared with us. So I embarked on a new research project, void of a creative agenda (for the time being), that would allow me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the stories and experiences of those who have served in the American military.
A festival of performances about the stories of women during times of war.
Thus far, I have interviewed five veterans who served in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, respectively. I have spoken to individuals whose lives were affected by family members who served in the military. I have been in contact with organizations like Arts in the Armed Forces and Theater of War about the work they do with veterans. Recently, I returned to the states after a two-week long trip in Europe where I attended a festival in London called Women and War and gallivanted around Berlin to various memorials and museums dedicated to World War II.
In my future blog posts, I plan to write in-depth about the content of these interviews and my adventures in Europe. Stay tuned!