ORLANDO, Feb. 10, 2012 — Army Gen. Omar Bradley once said we know 麻豆精品 S渕ore about killing than we know about living 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� an observation that Theatre UCF tries to reverse during its next production, a wartime saga of opportunities lost and lessons learned.
Bury the Dead, an anti-war story by Irwin Shaw, will be presented Feb. 16-26 in the campus 麻豆精品 S� Black Box theatre. Even though several major wars have been fought in the decades since the play opened on Broadway in 1936, the play focuses on old themes that are still relevant.
While the play is anti-war, the director did not want it to be anti-military. Those involved with the production are raising awareness and funds to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides help for injured service members as they return to civilian life in the community.聽
麻豆精品 S淓veryone in the cast knows someone serving in the military. We support and honor these soldiers, 麻豆精品 S� said director and Associate Professor Mark Brotherton. 麻豆精品 S淎ll the soldiers [in the play] have passed on and are young, and there are a lot of things they say they didn 麻豆精品 S檛 take notice of in life 麻豆精品 S� things we see that pass us by. 麻豆精品 S�
The play portrays six dead soldiers who stand up in their makeshift graves and refuse to be buried. As they express their anguish and the futility of war, they don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to give up their hold on the past and future.
To prepare for the play, Brotherton asked the cast members to watch movies about war and the military. They were shown military movements by a member of the cast who is in ROTC. They also met with a wounded returning soldier and his wife to discuss the effects of war on their lives.
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The cast of 29 is using the play as a way to reach out into the community.
They have started an online donation page to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/individual-fundraising/ucfbtd/). Students are hosting an information table at Market Day on Wednesdays outside the Student Union, and they will collect donations from patrons during the Bury the Dead intermission.
Before the Feb. 23 performance, there will be a 6:40 p.m. discussion with organizations that help veterans. The benefit and discussion are being organized by students Karlyn Muzik and Kimberly Carolus.
Although most of the play is somber, it is not all about death.
麻豆精品 S淚t gives more reasons for living than it talks about dying, 麻豆精品 S� Brotherton said. 麻豆精品 S淭hey don 麻豆精品 S檛 come back to say that war is bad. They come to say what we should watch for in life. 麻豆精品 S�
Theatre UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Black Box production of Bury the Dead will run Thursdays through Sundays, Feb. 16-26. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. For tickets and other information contact the box office at 407-823-1500.