“When the anger comes out it is not a sign of my trying to impose myself on to you…it is a sign of my fear, my terror, my heartache…It is the only emotion left…for it was what got me through those moments of helplessness, intense fear and self-doubt…Anger and rage is all I have left some times…”–Anonymous
PTSD becomes a more relatable concern once one realizes that it develops after a feeling of helplessness and fear. Having worked for the Military as an Army Medic and ER RN, I have firsthand experience caring for those affected by combat and non-combat related trauma. In the medical field we are taught to remain removed from patients’ stories, but upon hearing and seeing how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can play out in patients’ lives, I know that is not always possible.
The unspoken trauma and unseen scars interwoven through these personal stories serve as the foundation of my play BenchMARKS, directed by Colleen Theresa Brown, which explores the effects of PTSD from the perspective of two veterans. Through dialogue and flashback vignettes, the characters recount the traumatic experiences that have permeated various aspects of their lives—their jobs, relationships, and how they view themselves in a post-war context.
Be prepared to be enlightened, moved, and inspired!
PERFORMANCES
Goethe Institut – Gallery, 812 7th Street NW Washington, DC
July 12, 8-9pm
July 13, 6:45-7:45pm
July 18, 7-8pm
July 20, 12:45-13:45pm
July 21, 5:30-6:30pm
Purchase tickets here, or call (866) 811-4111.
Metrorail: Take the Red, Yellow or Green line to Gallery Place/Chinatown (7th and H Street Exit). Located less than a block from the Chinatown gate.
Parking: Parking is available either off-street or in the basement garage of the Renaissance Hotel, accessible from 7th and I Streets (clearance = 6′ 5’’), as well as in many other parking garages in the neighborhood, including the large surface lot on the site of the old Washington Convention Center (entrance from 9th Street southbound).
Playwright’s Bio:
Melanie F. Bevell-Jackson is a former Army Medic and Emergency Room Registered Nurse currently working as an Employee Occupational Health Manager for the Riverside Health System. Moved by the stories of many Military Service Members and their families, Ms. Bevell-Jackson aims to highlight the long-lasting effects of trauma in the lives of Veterans and Civilians alike. BenchMARKS is her first play.
Project E/C/Melanie F. Bevell-Jackson
[email protected]
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