On Saturday, March 13th, Poetic Theater Productions presents Veteran Voices: The Interview Sessions, a new series of intimate artist conversations interviewing veterans whose art as actors, poets, visual artists, and playwrights are featured frequently in Poetic Theater Productions’ programming. The new series highlights the individuals behind the art, and the importance of art on their journey as veterans reintegrating into civilian life. In 90 minutes, fellow veterans Jenny Pacanowski (featured in NY Times, ABC, Turner Classics) and Omar Columbus (CA and NY poet and gallery curator) connect with the featured artist, share clips of previous Veteran Voices performances, and share new works in development. Audiences are welcome and encouraged to ask questions. Join us and get to know the veterans (and family members of veterans) behind the voices you hear in Poetic’s shows.

This week, we interview Karen Alvarado and John Meyer.

Karen Alvarado is a Latinx actor, director, and producer born in Corpus Christi, Texas. She grew up touring bilingual history plays in Texas and Northern Mexico. She is currently the Founding Co-Artistic Director of Thinkery & Verse. The current health and social crisis have provoked her artistry to pivot and Karen has chosen to embrace this new normal by focusing on creating free virtual performances, historical and literary podcasts (Decameron 2020: Survival Through Stories and That’s How the Story Goes – the Hall-Mills Murders) as well as a new geocache and audio fusion called GHOST HUNT: The Hall-Mills Double Homicide. With Poetic Theater Productions, she has served as a Program Developer and Workshop Facilitator in Veteran Voices: Transformation, Co-Facilitator (from page to embodiment to Zoom) in Veteran Voices: Reckoning, and Featured Artist in Veteran Voices in Poetic License 2020: Renewal.

Dr. John M. Meyer is an artist from the University of Texas at Austin. His work as a playwright-performer has been featured in the Austin Chronicle, The Austin American-Statesman, KUT radio, The Scotsman, The Newark Star-Ledger and the BBC online. His stage-play American Volunteers won the 2010 Mitchell Award at the University of Texas, and subsequently made the long-list for the Dylan Thomas Prize in the United Kingdom. Much of John’s work draws on his experiences as an Airborne Ranger. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. With Poetic Theater Productions, he has served as a playwright and performer in Veteran Voices 2017, Love Redefined 2016, Kicking Down Doors: Veterans & Their Families in Poetic License 2016, and Veteran Voices in Poetic License 2020: Renewal.

For more information about Karen, Johnny, and Poetic Theater Productions, check us out here.

To stay up to date on all of the things Poetic Theater Productions is up to, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @poetictheater.

If you have the Clubhouse app, find @kellyteaford after the show to join our virtual theatre lobby, where we can all hang out, decompress, and process after the show.