Letters Home

Jonni Perra, codirector of Valparaiso's Community Theatre Guild's production of "Letters Home: Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields from Iraq," describes the play as a "no-spin" production.

"It's truly not a political vehicle in any direction," she said.

"It's not pro-war, and it's not against the war. There really aren't a lot of questions asking, 'Why are we in the war?' It's giving the voice to the soldiers and explaining their daily lives and their emotions."

Opening today and running through Feb. 16 at Valparaiso's Chicago Street Theatre, "Letters" was created by Bill Massolia, a Chicago-based playwright who currently serves as the artistic director of the Griffin Theatre in Chicago's Northcenter neighborhood.

Massolia's script was culled directly from actual letters sent by service men and women fighting in Iraq from throughout the country as well as letters sent to the soldiers by family members.

Citing inspiration from a variety of sources, most notably "Last Letters Home," an HBO documentary that chronicled the final letters and e-mails from soldiers killed in action in Iraq, Massolia made his way through more than 300 letters for his production, which debuted at the Griffin Theatre last year.

"They're letters that talk about (the soldiers') daily lives and are as diverse as anybody else's lives," Perra said.

"Some of the soldiers' (letters) are very excited and enthusiastic, and there's other (letters) that are more on the emotional and dramatic end, and the parents' letters are heartfelt and dramatic."

Traci Brandt, who is codirecting the play with Perra and also is active in the Windy City theater community, received Massolia's blessings to bring "Letters" to the Chicago Street Theatre stage.

For the Community Theatre Guild's production of the play, letters by a small handful of soldiers from the region were included in Massolia's original script.

"We're adding about five local letters," Brandt said.

"Some of the people (in Massolia's script) are already local; there's a guy from Fort Wayne. And we have letters from people who graduated from Valparaiso High School."

"These soldiers come from small communities around here like Valparaiso and Chesterton, and we felt like (the play) would have an impact in a community (like ours)," she said.

"If you don't have a son that is serving, maybe you have a neighbor that is, or someone that your husband works with."

More than 20 area actors are lending their voices to "Letters" against a video backdrop that will include pictures of the soldiers whose letters are being read.

"(The actors) are being natural," Perra said of their performances.

"They're delivering (the reading of the letters) how they feel what (the emotion) is that the soldier is trying to convey."

Next up for Community Theatre Guild is a production of the family favorite "James and the Giant Peach," which is scheduled to open at Chicago Street Theatre Feb. 29.

Due to some adult language and content, "Letters Home" is not recommended to sensitive viewers or youngsters 13 years and younger.

"Letters Home: Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields from Iraq" is running at Chicago Street Theatre at 8 p.m. tonight, Saturday, Feb. 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16 and at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 10.

onStage
"Letters Home: Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields from Iraq"
When: Friday through Feb. 16
Where: Chicago Street Theatre, 154 W. Chicago St., Valparaiso
Cost: $15 adults, $12 seniors 62 and over and groups of ten or more, $10 students 21 and under
FYI: (219) 464-4636 or www.ctgonline.org