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welcome to the theatre blog for GLM!

 all the lovely bits that influence our shows and
inspire us to create. 
learn about the art, music,
photography, film, and history
that make up our performances.
 

Ashley Marie James' own inspiration for "Grounded": a love note of support to her deceased Veteran Uncle

11/23/2015

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When we asked "Grounded"'s leading lady  Ashley Marie James for her inspirations, the stories, images, and real-life accounts she used to create her character, she pulled from a deep emotional well and recounted her Uncle's time in Vietnam and the PTSD he suffered from his experiences to build "the pilot".  Her writing is spare but heavy, carrying the weight of a lifetime of sadness from a soldier who served in such darkness, and we felt  the ache of every word.  We are proud to present to you, the deeply personal inspiration behind "Grounded":

 I don’t remember much about my Uncle. I was only 10 when he passed away. I do recall that he was a deeply religious man and the manner in which he died came as a great shock to my entire family. Too young to fully understand the gravity of the situation, all I knew was he took his own life. 
 My uncle served in Vietnam. I don’t know much about it as a lot of his letters were destroyed or lost . What I do know is that he kept how much he was involved a secret. Telling my Grandmother  he was behind a desk out of the line of fire. It was only later in life that he admitted his actions and the horrors of war that he witnessed .  He was involved in some things that disturbed him deeply and he was ashamed of his actions.  Shell shock they called it.  Now we understand it as PTSD and its extremely common. He was a young man with a wife and children when he could no longer ignore the night terrors.
 
I thought a lot about my Uncle I hardly knew during rehearsals.  The deeper I got into the character the more my heart ached for him, and his family. My cousins that grew up without their Father.
If only he were able to feel like he could talk to someone honestly and openly . To learn he was not alone , perhaps even find some atonement.  My hope is that by doing this play someone , anyone will see it . Be affected by it and reach out and ask for the help they need.  Please don’t suffer alone in silence. You’re worth it, your life is worth living. 

Respect to our Brothers and Sisters who proudly serve. Thank you for all you do for our Country.

--Ashley Marie James
 
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"Grounded" Inspiration: The Combat Paper Project

11/18/2015

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When service men and women return from combat zones, the transition from the atrocities of warfare to civilian life are often deeply difficult.  At the Combat Paper Project, they believe that one of the best tools to cope is art.

From the Combat Paper Project site: A new language must be developed in order to express the magnitude and variety of the collective effect. Hand papermaking is the language of Combat Paper.

Through papermaking workshops, veterans use their uniforms worn in service to create works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beaten into a pulp and formed into sheets of paper. Participants use the transformative process of papermaking to reclaim their uniforms as art and express their experiences with the military

Art is a powerful tool, giving humans the ability to express the trauma, sadness, and confusion that many Veterans feel upon returning from a combat zone.

We are honored to showcase a collection of Paper Installations in our entry during the run of "Grounded."  These pieces are thought-provoking and beautiful, and we encourage you to come by and see these great works. 

Please visit the Combat Paper Project to learn more about how you can support this wonderful cause.

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Dress like a man, fight like a Queen.  Today's "Grounded" inspiration highlights the American women who pretended to be men, in order to fight in the military

11/11/2015

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  Centuries before women would be permitted to serve in the American military, female soldiers determined to fight for their country and their freedom found a different way to accomplish their goals: dress like a man.
  Born an indentured servant, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and called herself "Robert Shirtliffe," then enlisted in 1781 to fight in New York against the British.  Serving for three years undetected she nearly drowned, froze to death, survived small pox, a near-fatal leg wound, and brain fever, without being detected.
   After being discovered as a women while in a military hospital, the attending physician took pity on her and asked her Commander to give her an honorable discharge, which she received.  She walked away a hero and went on to marry, have children, and continue to be a boss up until the day she died.



Deborah Sampson, O.G. American Badass
    Born a slave in 1844, Cathay Williams was desperate to escape the plantation she was enslaved at, and worked as a nurse, laundress, and cook for the Union Army occupying Missouri, in exchange for their protection.  When the war ended, she enlisted with the Army as "William Cathay," and was sent West with the black calvary and infantry units known as the "Buffalo Soldiers." 
   It is claimed that "no one knows" what made her decide to pose as a man, but we guess it might have had something to do with being completely sick of the terrible way women and slaves were treated.  "Sick of this shit" is as good a reason as any to start a new life.
  She evaded a medical exam, cut off her hair, and passed herself off as a man during her service.
Marching over 500 miles through New Mexico took an immense toll on her health and she had to accept a medical discharge in 1868, still undetected as a woman.
   She died after being denied a military pension, despite the fact that the Buffalo Soldier marches she participated in caused her toes to need to be amputated, and left her weak and ill.  Unacceptable.

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America's first African-American female veteran, and only female Buffalo Soldier.  Respect.
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Come at me, Confederates.
Pauline Cushman was an actress, a spy, and nearly executed for treason.  Paid by pro-Confederate soldiers to toast Jefferson Davis during a performance, she agreed to participate, and ingratiated herself in with the Confederate military by pretending to be a sympathizer.  In reality, she was sneaking military plans back to the Union while using her acting skills to ensure no one was the wiser to her plans.
   When the Confederates found out about her spying she was tried for treason and sentenced to death.  She pretended to be ill to buy herself time, and the invasion of the Union Army saved her from death three days before her execution date.
   After being released, she put on a man's uniform and continued to spy until the end of the war.


Stay with us today as we continue to write about female Veterans and the lengths they went to in service of their country. We have some truly great stories to tell.
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Today's "Grounded" inspiration is UAE's first female fighter pilot and the bane of ISIS.

11/10/2015

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  The very first female fighter pilot in the United Arab Emirate's air force is Maj. Mariam Al Mansouri, and she takes a special pride in not only being a squadron commander piloting an F-16, but in raining down bombs on the heads of ISIS.
   Major Al Mansouri is one of three women to graduate from flight school in 2008, and after training with the Air Force for 5 years, was given the chance to fulfill her life's dream at the helm of an F-16. 
   “It was my aspiration,” she told
 the National of the UAE in an interview. “Ever since I finished high school, I wanted to learn flying because it was something that I liked in the first place.” 
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  United Arab Emirates is leading the Middle East in equality, pushing for more women to join the military, ministerial posts, Parliament, local government, and law.  Women are seen as a vital and necessary part of society, and as Al Mansouri eloquently states, “A woman’s passion about something will lead her to achieving what she aspires and that’s why she should pursue her interests.”
  After years of study, Al Mansouri took to the skies to bomb ISIS strongholds near Raqqa, Aleppo and Idlib, taking a deep sense of pride in her accomplishment, saying "The emblem on my shoulder is not a little thing. It's a great responsibility."   Knowing that a female fighter pilot is dropping bombs onto the heads of ISIS makes us want to stand up and cheer.   Well done, Major.  Well done.

​To read more about the amazing Major Al Mansouri, read this.  Or this. 

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"Grounded" Inspiration: "I would essentially be a kamikaze pilot. God, don't let me f**k up."

11/10/2015

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      On September 11, 2001 shortly after it became terribly clear that it wasn't a Cessna that hit the World Trade Center but a commercial airplane intentionally flown into the building, the military received word that United Flight 93 had been taken by terrorists and was going to be flown into Washington.  
    Air Force Lt. Heather Penny was taking off from  Andrews Airforce base in her F-16 fighter plane with one mission: bring United 93 down. 
    But, she had no missiles, no bullets, no bombs;  all she had was her plane.  Lt. Penny and her commanding officer were going to fly directly into hijacked plane and bring it down, as kamikaze pilots.  15 years ago the military was not prepared at all time for surprise attacks, and her plane was not equipped with anything aside from a full tank of fuel.  It would take a full hour to arm her plane, and with Flight 93 hurtling towards Washington, and the World Trade Center fully engulfed in flames in New York, there was simply no time.
   Lt. Penny's commanding officer 
Col. Marc Sasseville announced she would be coming with him, and simply told her "I'll take the cockpit."  She replied "I'll take the tail."
    They would not have to follow through with their mission, intent as they were, because Flight 93 was brought down by its passengers.  
   Lt. Penny spent the rest of September 11 clearing airspace above Washington, and escorting Air Force One back to the White House, still prepared to fly directly into  any targets she saw coming.
   After retiring from the Air Force she is still flying today, although it is with her job at Lockheed-Martin, and she is the mother to two little girls.  She is still a certified badass. 
    Read her full account over at the Washington Post   ​
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    Authors

    Christopher Daniels is the current Managing Director of GLM Theatre and a bright shining light upon the stage.

    Heather Eaton is a board member of GLM and everyone's Auntie.

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  • Home
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