Military Family
Staged Readings Project
We are excited to announce the Military Family Staged Reading Project, funded in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Military Family Staged Readings playwriting and performance project draws inspiration from veterans' military experiences and reflections from both veterans and family members on the weight of military service and coming home. Six veterans and family members will write new plays culminating in a staged reading for the public. Each play highlights the diversity of experiences among the playwrights and offers audiences a variety of perspectives on military life.
You are invited!
Returning Soldiers Speak
presents
Military Family Staged Readings
March 25th through April 29th at Sawyer’s Playhouse
Our Playwrights
The Veterans:
Jeffrey Webster – Coast Guard
Benjamin Fortier – Marine Corps
Gregory Hillman – Marine Corps
The Family of Veterans:
Denah Angel – Navy, daughter and niece
Liisa Rose – Air Force, spouse
Bryan Caldwell – Navy, grandson
Our Directors
Leilani Squire
Keith Szarabajka
Joe Garcia
Our Creative Team
Workshop Facilitator - Leilani Squire
Dramaturge - Jim Lunsford
Playwriting Workshops
December 2025
The playwriting workshops are underway. We are exploring themes such as the weight of military service on both the one who serves and those who stay behind and what it means to come home or what it means leading up to going into the military. It’s exciting to listen to the plays taking shape through story, theme, characters, and plot. The stories are so different, the voices are so different—and this makes the process even more exciting and fulfilling. Perhaps what is even more so—are the stories told from their life experiences. We are building community through dialogue and story.
Each playwright will have the opportunity to present their first draft during a public staged reading. The staged readings will take place in Spring 2026 in North Hollywood and Atwater Village in the County of Los Angeles. We look forward to bringing you these new works written by Veterans and the Family of Veterans.
We need your support! We are actively seeking community sponsors, fiscal donations, stage manager, ushers, and so much more! Send us an email and let us know how you want to support this project.
More information to follow!
As always, we are grateful to the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs for their generous support.
This project is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. We also thank American Legion Auxiliary Unit 43 for their donation to support one of our Veteran Playwrights, and LACAE for their awesome collaboration.
