Vet Art Project Presents Work at DCA's Incubator Series

By Anthonia Akitunde in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 22, 2009 8:15PM

During the waning months of this year's epic presidential election, we saw the national conversation change from the War on Terrorism in Iraq to the global financial crisis. It's easy for those of us without family and friends in armed services to put the war in the back of our minds and focus on issues that hit closer to our homes. Tomorrow at the Chicago Department of Culture and Arts' Theater (78 E. Washington), the Vet Art Project will have a free, public performance created by war veterans in collaboration with artists of various mediums. The Vet Art Project allows veterans to tell their stories and creates discussion of how war touches all of our lives.

The performance is the second act this year in the DCA Theater's monthly Incubator Series, which lets theater lovers “see into the minds of some of Chicago's really talented, smaller storefront theater artists,” says Nathan Brandt, theater manager for the DCA. "The Incubator Series is designed to give any of Chicago's [over 500 itinerant] theater companies a month to work on a project, be it a script that they want to develop for their shows or something they've always wanted to try,” Brandt said.

As part of the Series, the Vet Art Project were allowed to use theater space for a month to engage in community building and discussions on topics ranging from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to art as meditation. Veterans worked in small groups to write or talk about their stories, then local artists worked with them to interpret their words into plays, film, music and other forms of art. The night promises to be an eye-opening experience. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling (312) 742-8497 or visiting dcatheater.org.