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The result is a play,听How to Leave a Battlefield, which will be performed on campus

Wars tend to be remembered for their battlefield glory or decisive military action, not for soldiers鈥� recovery and reintegration into civilian life. A CU Boulder senior, however, is using theatre and veterans鈥� own words to change that.听

When Sean Guderian was a freshman, an English class writing assignment propelled him on a four-year search for answers he found by interviewing military veterans. He recorded many hours of interviews with veterans of wars and conflicts. As he listened to their combat stories, he asked them what happened after.听

鈥淚 wanted to know how soldiers come home as veterans and live out the rest of their lives after living through the most extreme dangers and responsibilities life can throw at you,鈥� said Guderian, who is majoring in theatre performance and journalism.

The culmination of his work is听How to Leave a Battlefield, a stage play Guderian wrote using transcripts from some of the recorded interviews in the hopes of shining a light on soldiers transitioning to civilian life. His play will be presented April 16 and 17 at 7 p.m.; and April 20 at 2 p.m., in the Loft Theatre, in the CU Boulder Theatre Building.

Guderian was studying English when the project began. His writing group at the time,听, visited Frazier Meadows, a Boulder retirement community, to entertain the residents with essays and short stories. During the visit, he met with two World War II veterans who shared stories about their experiences in combat. These stories gave Guderian a glimpse into the extent of what they encountered鈥斺�渂oth incredible and horrific.鈥澨�

Hearing their wartime experiences gave Guderian the idea for a theatre project that focused on the veterans鈥� return to civilian life rather than their time spent in combat. Not everyone was willing to have their raw stories open and bare on the stage. After speaking to about 30 veterans, he wrote a play using the testimonials of seven.听

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to focus on the pain of war,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd while it did come up, and there鈥檚 some of it in the play to place things in context, it was important that we didn鈥檛 dwell on that. The message in the show is healing and how the veterans felt they were supported after they came back.鈥�

鈥淗ow do you leave a battlefield?鈥� was always the primary question, and the answers Guderian received varied. Many of the veterans he talked with will never leave the battlefield in their minds. Others were more optimistic.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 so easy to generalize a soldier,鈥� Guderian said. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 someone who signed up, gone to war, and when they returned are hurt by that. I was interested in the relationship with their service and how they live today.听

鈥淔or as bad as things were for them, I鈥檝e had veterans say they don鈥檛 regret joining and serving, because of how much they learned through the experience. In juxtaposition of that, there are situations where they carried out orders they regret,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey have to find a way to live with that.鈥澨�听

Guderian is framing his play based on the style of playwright and actor Anna Deavere Smith, widely recognized for developing a form of theatre dedicated to social change.听

Guderian was introduced to this style of testimonial theatre in a class taught by Cecilia Pang, associate professor in theatre and dance at CU Boulder. Pang, who is Guderian鈥檚 faculty advisor, served as Smith鈥檚 assistant听on the 1994 premiere of听Twilight: Los Angeles 1992听about the Los听Angeles riots.

Drawing on her own experience with this specialized type of performance, based on the testimonials of real people, but presented by actors on a minimal set, Pang coached Guderian on how to conduct interviews for this documentary-type theatre performance. She also听taught him how to 鈥渃onduct, transcribe and enact the interviews鈥� in Smith鈥檚 style. 听

鈥淚t鈥檚 fascinating to see how the veterans opened up to Sean,鈥� Pang said. 鈥淗is script is genuine. It鈥檚 about authenticity. This show is a new technique for our students, because it鈥檚 not covered in CU鈥檚 curriculum. The experience has been a truly worthy endeavor for Sean. What has impressed me so much about Sean is that he has a vision, initiative and followed through with it.鈥�

For his project, Guderian received a grant from CU Boulder鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. UROP helps students develop their own projects under the mentorship of a faculty member. Guderian鈥檚 grant will go toward paying the student actors and crew.

This will be Guderian鈥檚 first stage show that he produced and directed.

鈥淪ean is very clear on this show,鈥� Pang said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 his single-minded pursuit of a dream.鈥�

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