Stories of life in the military form the basis for “Telling” a production this weekend at the Vet’s Club in Eugene. “Telling” is based on interviews with more than 20 Oregonians with military experience.  Co-creator and author Jonathan Wei:

Wei: “We start with an exploration of why people joined, then we go into an amalgam of experiences… it’s a discussion of what it is to be home.”

Wei says the play includes monologues and dramatized pieces performed by eleven actors. All the performers have different levels of military involvement. And they’re speaking from their own experiences. Lemuel Charley is director of design. His monologue opens the play:

Charley: “This is my lines: Let me tell you how I learned how a barrel of a gun gets hot… we started taking fire, I though hey I know this, so that’s the introduction.”

Charley says telling his story for this production helped him process his experiences serving in Iraq. But he says his best friend is time. It’s been nine years since he was on active duty.

Charley: “When I first got out I would have never told stories, but as time progressed on I learned to deal with my own feelings… this is another outletting.”

Charley is still in the Army National Guard and he’s been called back to active duty.   Max Reyneard, who co-wrote “Telling” says he learned a lot from the experience of creating the play, and he lost a lot of preconceived notions about the military.

Reyneard: “What we learned as we went is that this experience isn’t ever the same… everything from pain… absurd, funny ridiculous … fit into this structure which is military life.”

The play was produced with the University of Oregon’s Veterans and Family Student Association. Telling will be performed tonight and Saturday night at 8 and Sunday afternoon at 2. It’s at the Vet’s Club in Eugene and admission is free.

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