thedrifter
09-22-08, 07:53 AM
Play honors fallen Marines
By KATHY THOMPSON
Staff Writer
DRESDEN - When playwright and actor Michael Tisdale was losing his father to cancer in August of 2005, he became acutely aware of a group of fallen Marines who lost their lives within days of each other in Iraq the same week his father passed away.
One of those Marines, Sgt. Bradley J. Harper, 25, was from Dresden and was killed Aug. 3. Harper was assigned to the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve out of Norfolk, Va. Harper's amphibious assault vehicle was hit by an IED while he was conducting combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq.
Tisdale, who lives in New York City, was in Cleveland with his father that week and discovered that many coming to pay respects to his father were also headed to a memorial for the Marines.
"I started reading articles and information about the men that were killed that week and felt a connection," Tisdale said. "It helped me with my own feelings and grief. I decided to write a piece about these brave men."
For the past three years Tisdale has been interviewing family members of those men and writing a play in honor of them, their sacrifice and the pain and loss the families feel.
His finished product, a play called "Gold Star Ohio," is of four of those Marines and their families struggle to cope with their loss. It will open the 2008-2009 season of the Gordon Square Theatre at the Cleveland Public Theatre from Oct. 16 to Nov. 8 in Cleveland.
Harper and his family are featured along with Lance Cpl. Daniel Nathan Deyarmin, Sgt. Justin Hoffman and Sgt. Nathaniel Rock. All 22 names of those who died that week will be incorporated in the play, Tisdale said.
"I hope that some healing can come from people watching the play," Tisdale said. "My goal is to show how families are affected by this loss."
The opening act of the play shows how the men were as youngsters, why they enlisted, their deployments, their communications with their family and friends and then on to the day they were killed.
"I show how they are returned home and it's funny, when you get the families together and they start talking about that day, they can finish each other's sentences," Tisdale said.
The impactful journey Tisdale's play takes is a crash course in how these families "had a child, loved them, watched as they grew and shared in their passions, said good-bye to them as they set off to defend their country, believed in them, supported them in what they were doing, and then suddenly lost them and what the protocol is like to get their loved one home."
Act Two allows the audience to get to know the families and what the deaths of the Marines did to them.
"They've had to deal with the problems the death brought and then learn to live with the sacrifice that was made," Tisdale said. "The end of the play is how they've dealt with moving on and healing, yet never forgetting. I've spent a lot of time with these families and I think since that week in March there have been two or three marriages, six grandchildren born and it shows that life does move on."
As for Harper, Tisdale said after spending hours and hours with his family, his wife, Kendra, and friends still in Dresden, he wishes he had known Harper.
"I learned that he and Kendra wanted to start a family and even beyond that, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kendra," Tisdale said. "I learned that whatever Brad set out to do, he accomplished it. If Brad put his mind to something, he did it. That day he was killed, he wasn't even supposed to be there. But he wanted to protect his buddies, his fellow Marines and he put himself on the front line for them. That's what Brad was - a protector."
Tisdale said he wasn't surprised to learn that, though.
"Here was a man who put on a police uniform, served and protected the public and then put on a Marine uniform and served and protected his fellow Marines and people in another country," Tisdale said. "He put his life on the line for people he didn't know daily. That's a true hero."
Steve and Janet Harper, Brad's parents, said they are honored Tisdale chose Brad to feature in his play.
"We hope it glorifies all the heroes that sacrificed themselves for our freedom," Steve said. "We hope that everyone who watches it will understand what the families go through and how much we have all suffered."
Tisdale said he wants people to never forget the men and women who have died in the war.
"I know that I've learned to appreciate life a lot more in talking with the families and friends of these men," Tisdale said. "I cherish every minute I'm alive and I hope that is a message of the play. To say everything you need to say to the people you love. To appreciate live here and now. Not to forget and never turn a blind eye. I hope the play encourages dialogue between people who wouldn't necessarily speak about these things and then help them heal and know they are not alone in their loss."
Ellie
By KATHY THOMPSON
Staff Writer
DRESDEN - When playwright and actor Michael Tisdale was losing his father to cancer in August of 2005, he became acutely aware of a group of fallen Marines who lost their lives within days of each other in Iraq the same week his father passed away.
One of those Marines, Sgt. Bradley J. Harper, 25, was from Dresden and was killed Aug. 3. Harper was assigned to the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve out of Norfolk, Va. Harper's amphibious assault vehicle was hit by an IED while he was conducting combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq.
Tisdale, who lives in New York City, was in Cleveland with his father that week and discovered that many coming to pay respects to his father were also headed to a memorial for the Marines.
"I started reading articles and information about the men that were killed that week and felt a connection," Tisdale said. "It helped me with my own feelings and grief. I decided to write a piece about these brave men."
For the past three years Tisdale has been interviewing family members of those men and writing a play in honor of them, their sacrifice and the pain and loss the families feel.
His finished product, a play called "Gold Star Ohio," is of four of those Marines and their families struggle to cope with their loss. It will open the 2008-2009 season of the Gordon Square Theatre at the Cleveland Public Theatre from Oct. 16 to Nov. 8 in Cleveland.
Harper and his family are featured along with Lance Cpl. Daniel Nathan Deyarmin, Sgt. Justin Hoffman and Sgt. Nathaniel Rock. All 22 names of those who died that week will be incorporated in the play, Tisdale said.
"I hope that some healing can come from people watching the play," Tisdale said. "My goal is to show how families are affected by this loss."
The opening act of the play shows how the men were as youngsters, why they enlisted, their deployments, their communications with their family and friends and then on to the day they were killed.
"I show how they are returned home and it's funny, when you get the families together and they start talking about that day, they can finish each other's sentences," Tisdale said.
The impactful journey Tisdale's play takes is a crash course in how these families "had a child, loved them, watched as they grew and shared in their passions, said good-bye to them as they set off to defend their country, believed in them, supported them in what they were doing, and then suddenly lost them and what the protocol is like to get their loved one home."
Act Two allows the audience to get to know the families and what the deaths of the Marines did to them.
"They've had to deal with the problems the death brought and then learn to live with the sacrifice that was made," Tisdale said. "The end of the play is how they've dealt with moving on and healing, yet never forgetting. I've spent a lot of time with these families and I think since that week in March there have been two or three marriages, six grandchildren born and it shows that life does move on."
As for Harper, Tisdale said after spending hours and hours with his family, his wife, Kendra, and friends still in Dresden, he wishes he had known Harper.
"I learned that he and Kendra wanted to start a family and even beyond that, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kendra," Tisdale said. "I learned that whatever Brad set out to do, he accomplished it. If Brad put his mind to something, he did it. That day he was killed, he wasn't even supposed to be there. But he wanted to protect his buddies, his fellow Marines and he put himself on the front line for them. That's what Brad was - a protector."
Tisdale said he wasn't surprised to learn that, though.
"Here was a man who put on a police uniform, served and protected the public and then put on a Marine uniform and served and protected his fellow Marines and people in another country," Tisdale said. "He put his life on the line for people he didn't know daily. That's a true hero."
Steve and Janet Harper, Brad's parents, said they are honored Tisdale chose Brad to feature in his play.
"We hope it glorifies all the heroes that sacrificed themselves for our freedom," Steve said. "We hope that everyone who watches it will understand what the families go through and how much we have all suffered."
Tisdale said he wants people to never forget the men and women who have died in the war.
"I know that I've learned to appreciate life a lot more in talking with the families and friends of these men," Tisdale said. "I cherish every minute I'm alive and I hope that is a message of the play. To say everything you need to say to the people you love. To appreciate live here and now. Not to forget and never turn a blind eye. I hope the play encourages dialogue between people who wouldn't necessarily speak about these things and then help them heal and know they are not alone in their loss."
Ellie