Savage Wonder

Kimberly Evans is a federal law enforcement officer as well as being an up-and-coming poet, photographer and writer.Follow her here.

Kimberly Evans is a federal law enforcement officer as well as being an up-and-coming poet, photographer and writer.Follow her here.

Kimberly Evans is a federal law enforcement officer as well as being an up-and-coming poet, photographer and writer.Follow her here.

Lois Hicks-Wozniak is an active concert saxophonist and educator in the New York Metropolitan and the Hudson Valley region, committed to community engagement through new music and Global Music styles. A D'Addario Woodwinds Artist, her many awards include winning the Special Presentation Winners Recital Series, sponsored by Artists International Presentations; earning her a New York Recital Debut at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall. She is described in performance as having “tremendous technique and fidelity to tone without sacrificing musical line,” and a “beautiful soprano saxophone sound...preserving the beauty and consistency of her sound regardless of the technical or musical demands of the moment” (Saxophone Symposium).From 1996-2004 she served active duty in the U.S. Army as a saxophonist with the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, the West Point Saxophone Quartet and as a featured soloist at the World Saxophone Congress 2000 in Montreal, where she performed the Glazunov Concerto with the West Point Concert Band. She resigned her position in the Army to take on her most prized role as proud mom of four terrific children. (two sets of twins!)She can be heard on her recording Playback: Music for Saxophone and Bass Trombone with Matthew Wozniak, bass trombone and Nadine Shank, piano and on the West Point Saxophone Quartet CD, Fault Lines. Her performances have been broadcast on New York public radio and she has an educational YouTube channel called “TheSaxophoneLady,” featuring frequent audition material for elementary and junior high students. As a subscription series soloist with the New Jersey Wind Symphony, she presented the east coast premiere of the Concerto for Soprano Sax and Wind Ensemble by John Mackey. An artist-in-residence at Mississippi State University, she performed the Mississippi premiere of Dream Dancer for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble by Michael Colgrass, and she has been a guest of the Ithaca College Saxophone Society. She served as principal saxophonist with the New Jersey Wind Symphony from 2005-2018, and has performed and recorded with the Albany Symphony; along with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Orchestra, the Greater Newburgh Symphony, the Lawton Philharmonic, the Pone New Music Ensemble and the Dallas Wind Symphony, to include their recording, Fiesta! She maintains an active schedule as a performer and clinician, appearing as guest soloist with high school, university and community ensembles. As a freelance musician, she has shared the stage with diverse acts from Manhattan Transfer to Milton Berle. She has commissioned and championed many new works for saxophone.With a passion for World Music, Ethnomusicology, and Diversity, she has studied South Asian Carnatic percussion and has recorded with Pat Waing master, Kyaw-Kyaw Naing and the first Burmese-American Hsiang Waing ensemble. She is a featured professor in the textbook, World Music Pedagogy Vol VII: Teaching World Music in Higher Education (Routledge 2020), holds a certification in Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy, and teaches classroom courses in Global Music Studies.An advocate of new chamber music, she and her husband, Matt Wozniak, comprise the saxophone and bass trombone duo, The Wozniak Duo. During the 2020 pandemic, Lois and Matt created “Music Tells a Story,” a recorded local library program for children and care-givers featuring story-telling, enactive music involvement, global music and incorporation of new music. Championing new works for this unique ensemble, they have commissioned and premiered works by Kevin Ames, Rob Deemer, Zae Munn, Carter Pann, and Gregory Wanamaker, most recently presenting the world premiere of Zae Munn's Gnashing of Teeth at the North...

Mitchel Coffman is a New York City-based artist. He is the son of a Vietnam-era veteran and is the longtime friends of several special operations folks. His 25 oil-on-canvas portraits of fallen Rangers are featured at the 75th Ranger Regiment Hall of Honor at Hunter Army Airfield and his newest exhibit is an immersive look at the GWOT, titled, "Wish You Were Here." He has painted murals in Maryland and New York, including pieces for the Brooklyn Diner in Times Square and the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Visit him at MitchelCoffman.com.Listen at https://profilesinhavok.captivate.fm or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch on YouTube at YouTube.com/@veteransrepertorytheater

The daughter of a veteran, Jean Ciampi is a playwright, freelance writer, humorist, Dramatists Guild of America member, passport holder, scuba diver, actress, baseball fan, director, Texan, humorist, dog lover and cilantro hater. She was mentored by Canadian playwright Sharon Pollock and is a member of the 2022 Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive. Her latest farce, "Yazoo, Miss'ssippi" won the 2024 Robert J Pickering/JR Colbeck Award for Playwriting Excellence. Her other full-length plays and shorts have been produced internationally. She uses the Oxford comma indiscriminately and single spaces after periods. Her ten-minute play, "Unboxed" placed third in the latest VetRep playwriting competition.Follow her here.

Dakota Silvey is a New York-based playwright, stage manager, wildland firefighter and U.S. Air Force Veteran. Recorded in-person at the Players in NYC, Dakota spoke about life as both a writer and an active participant in the profession of arms. His play INTERMISSION PLAY placed second in Veterans Repertory Theater's latest 10-minute playwriting competition.

Stephanie Kline is a playwright from Arlington, VA. She is a Marine Corps veteran, former Air Force dependent, and served as an Army civilian and defense contractor. Her short plays have won multiple competitions and festival selections, including selection to the NYC Players' Theatre 2021 Short Play Festival with a four-night, off-Broadway run of ‘Torture Chamber.' Her first full-length stage play-in-progress, a drama about the military's treatment of servicemembers with PTSD, was selected for the 2023 Chicago Dramatists' Scene Showcase. Stephanie is a Dramatists Guild member and studied playwriting at the Kennedy Center, DC's Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Chicago Dramatists.

Kat Furrow is a self-taught artist based in Carlsbad, California. She is a Navy veteran, a full-time student, and an art instructor with over a decade of experience. Drawing inspiration from her love of people and nature, Kat is passionate about her craft, utilizing bold colors and textures. She embraces an "Art Every Day, it's a Mindset" philosophy, viewing her art as a metaphor for living life with curiosity and hope. As a "Trusted Art Seller" with the Art Storefronts Organization, she ensures quality and value in her work. Kat is open to commissions, special editions, and offers classes, embodying her belief in the transformative power of art.Follow Kat here.

Dan Lauria has appeared as a guest star in over seventy television episodic programs and more than twenty Movie Of The Week productions plus a score of motion picture credits. Dan is a very familiar face to the off-off, and off-Broadway and regional theatre scene having performed, written or directed over 50 professional stage productions. In 2010/11 Dan was seen on Broadway as the legendary coach Vince Lombardi in LOMBARDI, with the beautiful and talented Judith Light playing Marie Lombardi. The production was directed by Thomas Kail (Hamilton). Dan returned to Broadway in the 2013 & the 2014 production of the Tony-nominated A CHRISTMAS STORY: The Musical directed by Tony winner John Rando. A published playwright, Dan's DINNER WITH THE BOYS and JUST ANOTHER DAY have received many productions. However, Dan is most recognized as the Dad on the highly acclaimed, Emmy-winning ABC television show THE WONDER YEARS. Dan was most recently seen on the Fox TV show PITCH as manager Al Loungo and then joined the family of THIS IS US both series written by television's most talented writer, Dan Fogelman. Dan and dear friend, the lovely and talented Wendie Malick have performed the play THE GUYS by Anne Nelson, for veteran & firemen organizations around the country. THE GUYS is a tribute to those brave men and women who died on 9/11. Wendie and Dan now do LOVE LETTERS as fundraising events for the development of new plays at regional theatres, and to save our planet and the animals that inhabit it. Dan is a Marine and Vietnam Veteran.See Dan's JUST ANOTHER DAY in NYC this March!

Michael D. Fay is a former USMC Combat Artist with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mike enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and was discharged in 1978 as an 81 mm mortarman (MOS 0341). In 1978, he returned to Penn State Univeristy and graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. In 1983, re-enlisted into the Marines and served as an avionics technician (MOS 6322) in the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (HMM-365) until 1993. Fay served a tour on recruiting duty (MOS 8411) and was a recruiter of the year for 1989 and 1990. He left active duty at the end of September 1993. Fay returned to service in the USMCR in January 2000. He was assigned as an official combat artist. He is now retired from the Marine Corps. Fay's artwork is in the Marine Corps Combat Art collection, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the collection of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.Fay has also had solo exhibitions at the Farnsworth Museum, where he was the target of a protest group. His artwork has been published in Leatherneck Magazine—the official magazine of the Marine Corps Association—and the New York Times. The Guardian called his work "exceptionally moving and thought-provoking", and said, "Over the past decade, Fay has seen action as a war artist with US troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but his latest journey was to a military veterans' hospital in Richmond, Virginia. In the resulting New York Times blogs, he relays his meetings with three young men severely wounded in Afghanistan. His account of their injuries and rehabilitation is gripping, but what really deepens the reporting are his drawings, reproduced alongside the articles."Fay has also recorded wounded veterans recovering from their injuries. As part of this work he founded the Joe Bonham Project to document the experiences of the wounded. After retirement, Fay campaigned for enhanced recognition and improved working opportunities for war artists. Fay also uses sculpture. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration; his thesis was called The Boy Who Drew Soldiers.

The child of a Ukrainian POW and US Air Force veteran, Michael Bard is an active musician, composer and teacher who resides near Washington, D.C. He has performed as a soloist and with various musical ensembles throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, North Africa, South America, Central America and the Middle East. He has also been featured on various radio and television programs around the world. He has served as Vice President of the Dayton Classical Guitar Society as well as Vice President of the Washington Guitar Society.While pursuing graduate studies at Arizona State University, Tempe, Michael was awarded a full scholarship to study at l'Accademia “Ottocento” in Vigevano, Italy, a school which specializes in the classical guitar music of the 19th century. During that time he also participated in a concert tour of northern Italy and Switzerland.Michael has also performed as rhythm guitarist for Higher Octave/Virgin recording artists Shahin and Sepehr with whom he has toured nationally and abroad. He also appeared on their fourth album “World Cafe” which peaked at #18 on the Billboard charts and was featured on NPR's “All Things Considered.”As a performer, Michael was chosen by the U.S. State Department to concertize throughout Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, and the kingdom of Morocco with fellow guitarist Corey Whitehead. Billing themselves as ‘Douze Cordes' Michael and Corey effectively served as cultural ambassadors, offering diplomacy through music. They were later invited to give more performances in Jordan and Kuwait on a second tour again sponsored by the U.S. State Department. More recently they embarked on an 11 city concert tour throughout the country of Chile, this time as a trio with vocalist Deborah Benner, Michael's wife & musical partner.Michael has performed for many luminaries and dignitaries including former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore as well as various members of royalty throughout the Middle East & South America.His first recorded solo effort entitled ‘Illumination' features original compositions for guitar and solo piano, blending a soothing mix of of Spanish, Latin, and adult contemporary instrumental styles. His composition ‘Mediterranean Beauty' for two guitars is published by Lathkill Music Publishers, England.He provided Spanish guitar accompaniment for The Choral Arts Society of Washington‘s award winning NAXOS recording “Celebrating Sacred Rhythms” featuring Ariel Ramirez' “Misa Criolla” & “Navidad Nuestra.”Michael currently performs & records with Washington D.C. based Latin Rumba-Flamenco group Trio Caliente, which has released 3 albums, performed nationally, and whose music was featured on NBC's former hit TV show “Smash” as well as E! Entertainment Television Network. ​​Michael holds a Masters degree in music from Arizona State University, Tempe and a Bachelors degree in music from Wright State University, Dayton, OH.Get tickets to Michael's Carnegie Hall concert on November 4, 2023.

Savage Wonder podcast, episode 87 with former NYPD detective and actor/singer Michael Devine. Mike, a native New Yorker, is an intrepid character actor recognized for his roles as Detective Paul O'Rourke on the Emmy-nominated "The Undoing" (HBO) and James Tech on "Limitless" (CBS). With various guest star appearances on network, streaming and pay cable television, he is no stranger to the camera. His work can also been seen on the big screen in dozens of A-List directed films such as The Wolf Of Wall Street, The Post, The Woman In The Window, Inside Man, etc.When not working on set, Michael is in the recording studio. As an accomplished singer, Michael's first album, "Songs of Valor and Hope," hit #1 in four categories on Amazon. His second album, "Sentinels" has just been released.

Ivan F. Ingraham is a writer, speaker, and storyteller. He served 24-years in the United States Marine Corps, mostly in Special Operations. Ivan is the CEO of Golden Compass, LLC, a leadership consulting company.Read Ivan's work at The War Horse, Task & Purpose, and Havok Journal.Ivan's Amazon author pageFollow Ivan here

Poet, musician and former USMC combat veteran Benjamin Fortier has finally published his latest book PHANTOMS, covering his deployment to Iraq in '06-'07. About the book, Sebastian Junger said, "Fortier's poetry – can I even call it that? - seems to do the impossible: transfer the experience of combat directly into our psyches. PHANTOMS is stunning. If you have never been in combat, you will understand something new and important. And if you have – well, you don't need to hear it from me. Just take a deep breath and open up the book."Follow Ben here.

Mike Schropp is a visual artist, specializing in abstract painting and sculpture. Mike is a combat veteran, having deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with the US Army. Our wide-ranging conversation touches on his artistic process, the unique circumstances of his marriage, his most eventful day in Afghanistan, his adjustment to civilian life, and the rugged independence he has claimed on his artistic journey. Mike was one of the first veteran artists I followed on IG. Yet it still took this long to get him on the show. His work is phenomenal and his personal story of wrong turns, false starts and dead ends culminates in absolutely magnificent artwork. My two cents, but seriously - buy his work before it goes out of your price range.Follow Mike here.

Scott Cottrell is a retired US Army Colonel. His debut novel, When Chaos Reigns, is available now on pre-order and will be released on Kindle on August 8, 2023. China, Russia, a powerful drug cartel, and a radical Islamic terrorist group form a secret cabal bent on shocking America and her global influence to its core while taking what they want across the globe. With the U.S. President facing impeachment on multiple counts and focused on securing a trade agreement with China without Senate approval, his actions put the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll at risk and ignite the tinderbox of the South China Sea. Can the web of corruption and deceit created by enemies, foreign and domestic, be uncovered and destroyed in time to save the United States and Western civilization? So well documented in present-day fact,When Chaos Reigns seems too close to reality to be called fiction.A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Scott served for 29+ years in the U.S. Army in locations worldwide, including as Commander of the US Army Kwajalein Atoll/Kwajalein Missile Range, now the Reagan Test site. Scott has three master's degrees, including a Master's in Military Art and Science from the Army's School of Advanced Military Studies; and a Master's in National Security and Strategic Studies from the US Naval War College. Scott's other military assignments included the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii; the Near East Project Office in Ovda, Israel, with the US Army Corps of Engineers; US Southern Command's Engineer Directorate in Panama; XVIII Airborne Corps G3 Plans section in Fort Bragg, NC; US Space Command J5 Plans Section; and the US Central Command's Engineer, which involved many trips to the Middle East. He is married to Peggy, with two children and eight grandchildren.Follow him here.

Gina Herrera is a mixed-media artist residing in California. A 25-year veteran of the Navy, Army and Air Force, she received her BFA in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During her studies, she was deployed overseas in support of several war contingencies with the Armed Forces. Once her final tour was complete, she obtained her MFA in Studio Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Herrera has exhibited extensively throughout California and nationally. She has been privileged to receive recognition for her work through various grants and has been published in various media including Peacock TV and Hulu. Follow her here.

Jason Kasper is the USA Today bestselling author of the Spider Heist, American Mercenary, and Shadow Strike thriller series. Before his writing career he served in the US Army, beginning as a Ranger private and ending as a Green Beret captain. Jason is a West Point graduate and a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and was an avid ultramarathon runner, skydiver, and BASE jumper, all of which inspire his fiction.Follow Jason here.

Ryan Stovall is a former adventurer, world traveler, and Green Beret, twice decorated for valor and awarded two Purple Hearts. His poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction can be found in numerous anthologies and journals, and on his blog at ryanstovall.com. Having completed one Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree through Fairfield University in 2021, in 2022 he began taking classes towards a second MFA through Lesley University's low-residency writing program. He recently finished a first draft of a fiction novel, and hopes to have it placed for publication within the next two years. Ryan, a University of Maine alumnus (class of 2018), lives in Phillips, Maine, with his wife and three kids. Black Snowflakes Smothering A Torch is his first book.

Elliot Ackerman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Halcyon, 2034, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoir The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan, and Places and Names: On War, Revolution and Returning. His books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize among others. He is a contributing writer at The...

Proud theatre geek turned Army Special Forces Green Beret, turned 'Medal of Valor'-earning firefighter and now back to actor, Jeff Bosley is a film and television actor. During his years in theatre performing on stage Jeff's studies focused on The Meisner Technique. As he transitioned to film & television his education expanded to Stanislavski's 'Method' while studying for nearly 5 years at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Conservatory. He continues to train and study at Strasberg, the American Film Institute, the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory and multiple studios in the Los Angeles area.His current work and projects have earned him major roles transporting him to international movie sets and Cannes Film Festival Screenings. His indie feature film 'Parallax' (which he starred in and produced) has been making the festival rounds for the last several years with 11 awards as of December 2021- including multiple winners of Best Actor, Best Producer, Best Short Film and Best Thriller.

As a musician, Tyron McFarlan was almost signed to two major record labels before each opportunity was derailed. As an actor, Ty McFarlan appeared on Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill Drop Dead Diva, and Army Wives and in addition to many other commercial and TV appearances. But Ty may be best known as the 34th Ringmaster of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Ty was the son of a career Army warrant officer who went on to became the first black state trooper in South Carolina. Ty himself served 13 years in the Army National Guard rising to the rank of Captain in the Ordnance branch.

Master Sergeant Corban Lundborg is currently serving in the Air Force Reserve as a combat photojournalist at the 4th Combat Camera Squadron based out of Charleston, South Carolina. Corban is one of the unit's designated aerial photographers, working as fully qualified aircrew. The unit supports the Department of Defense with frontline imagery in combat, aerial and humanitarian environments. Corban's photojournalism work has been recognized around the world. He earned the title "Air Force Photographer of the Year" in the 2018 media awards and won first place at the 2022 international Best Combat Camera Competition. Corban is now living in Atlanta, Georgia where he creates full time, working on a variety of projects in different mediums, from painting to woodworking. He also leads a creative agency with his wife called CALM Collective, where he works as a creative director and cinematographer. His camera work has attracted top companies and non-profits from around the country, who have hired him as a director of photography on national ad campaigns and commercials. Moving forward, Corban's dream is to use his creative gifts to serve others and Christ. Corban's website

Larry Freeland is the author of historical fiction novels Chariots in the Sky and the Patriarch, the first part of the Legacy of Honor trilogy. Larry was born in Canton, Ohio. Since his father was an officer with the United States Air Force he grew up on many Air Force bases across this country. After graduating from High School at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico, he attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. He graduated in 1968 with a degree in mathematics and a concentration in finance. He joined the U.S. Army and served one tour in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division as an Infantry Officer and a CH-47 helicopter pilot. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star, and various other military service medals.Upon release from active duty in 1973, Larry returned to civilian life and pursued a career in the Financial Industry. During his professional career, he continued his education earning graduate degrees in Management and Banking. He worked for 29 years in the banking business with Trust Company of Georgia, Citizen and Southern Corporation, now Bank of America, and Wachovia, now Wells Fargo. After retiring from banking he worked as an independent financial consultant for 3 years in the Atlanta area and then worked as an instructor for 6 years with Lanier Technical College in their Management and Leadership Development Program.Larry is now retired and lives in North Georgia with his wife Linda, a retired school teacher. They stay involved in various activities, most notably those associated with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Veterans related organizations. They also enjoy traveling together and spending as much time as possible with their two daughters, three grandsons, and two granddaughters.

Michael Jerome Plunkett served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. After working in the financial industry for Fidelity Investments and Morgan Stanley for several years he began pursuing fiction writing and acquired his MFA at College of Charleston. He currently works as an EMT. His writing has been published by Coffee of Die (Black Rifle Coffee), Dead Reckoning Collective, and The Havok Journal. Lit of War

Savage Wonder podcast, episode 73 with Navy veteran Logan Vath. Logan is an award-winning singer/songwriter from Norfolk, Virginia. A Midwest native, he has established himself as a biographical lyricist who finds balance in intricate phrasing and a simple, genuine connection to his audience. His songs have found themselves on Spotify's "Roots on the Rise" and "Fresh Folk" playlists, as well as Apple Music's "Breaking Singer/Songwriter."You can see him live at VetRep's performance of Savage WonderGround: Three Strangers at @principlegallery on April 13 at 6pm (savagewonder.com)

Michael D. Fay is a former USMC Combat Artist with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mike enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and was discharged in 1978 as an 81 mm mortarman (MOS 0341). In 1978, he returned to Penn State Univeristy and graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. In 1983, re-enlisted into the Marines and served as an avionics technician (MOS 6322) in the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (HMM-365) until 1993. Fay served a tour on recruiting duty (MOS 8411) and was a recruiter of the year for 1989 and 1990. He left active duty at the end of September 1993. Fay returned to service in the USMCR in January 2000. He was assigned as an official combat artist. He is now retired from the Marine Corps. Fay's artwork is in the Marine Corps Combat Art collection, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the collection of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.Fay has also had solo exhibitions at the Farnsworth Museum, where he was the target of a protest group. His artwork has been published in Leatherneck Magazine—the official magazine of the Marine Corps Association—and the New York Times. The Guardian called his work "exceptionally moving and thought-provoking", and said, "Over the past decade, Fay has seen action as a war artist with US troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but his latest journey was to a military veterans' hospital in Richmond, Virginia. In the resulting New York Times blogs, he relays his meetings with three young men severely wounded in Afghanistan. His account of their injuries and rehabilitation is gripping, but what really deepens the reporting are his drawings, reproduced alongside the articles."Fay has also recorded wounded veterans recovering from their injuries. As part of this work he founded the Joe Bonham Project to document the experiences of the wounded. After retirement, Fay campaigned for enhanced recognition and improved working opportunities for war artists. Fay also uses sculpture. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration; his thesis was called The Boy Who Drew Soldiers.

A Coast Guard veteran and native of Long Beach, California, Reagan Pettigrew found his love for reading and writing while in the military. After his discharge, he began a new life on the road that took him from America to Europe. Suicide In Slow Motion is his breakout novel.From Long Beach, California to the mountains of the Pyrenees in northern Spain, Suicide In Slow Motion takes the reader on a voyage of discovery through Tristan's eyes, while confronting the horrors of PTSD and delving into the philosophy of self-destruction. It also seeks to answer the question that many veterans ask once they leave the military... what the hell do I do now.

Neville Johnson was born and raised in South Africa by a Mum who was a Nurse and a Dad who was a Police Officer. This early exposure to a life of service to country influenced his most significant life decisions. Before he started writing, this path took him to the United Kingdom, where he ended up in London as a member of her Majesty's Royal Infantry.Neville currently resides in New Zealand with his wife and three children. He works at a high school as the Pathways Coordinator, assisting young people in developing essential life skills for their transition into the workforce. His first book, Sangin, Then and Now, is a stoic collection of poetry from a lifelong loyal subject of the Commonwealth. The verses within tell the story of a young man following in the footsteps of his father as we accompany him on a journey to war and back.It is a rationale for the dangers we face in staying in a toxic relationship with professions and landscapes trying to swallow us whole.

Charles McCaffrey is a Navy Veteran with over 35 years of military, government contracting and small business experience; and is a serial entrepreneur, instructor, mentor and ardent supporter of the military community. Charles serves as the Director of the Veterans Career Program (VCP) at Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) that provides FREE employment support and vocational counseling assistance to ALL veterans, transitioning service members, spouses, and caregivers. Prior to joining PVA in October 2021, he served as the Executive Director of Eastern Market Main Street (EMMS), a nonprofit, and designated DC Main Streets program, dedicated to fostering a collaborative, connected, and competitive business community in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, DC.He was on the staff at George Mason University's Community Business Partnership; and served as Director of the Business Incubation Center (2012-2013) and Director of the South Fairfax Small Business Development Center (2013-2015) before founding and serving as the Director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center for the Mid-Atlantic region from 2015 to 2019. The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program (a program of the Small Business Administration) is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling, and resource partner referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard & Reserve members, and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business. In 2016, he was named Boots to Business Instructor of the Year; and in 2018, the VBOC at Community Business Partnership was named the Veteran Business Center of Excellence by the Small Business Administration.Charles is also active in the broader community; serving as a learning lab partner for the Dog Tag, Inc., Fellows program. He is also an avid storyteller, writer and artist; and has been a mentor with the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP). Charles told his first story on stage in 2017 as a graduate of the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP) Storytelling 101 class; and has since gone on to perform at ASAP's Service to Stage performance (DC Improv in 2018), Story District's annual OutSpoken show (9:30 Club in 2019), and Story District's TopShelf performance (Lincoln Theater in 2020). His first short story (fiction), “Dancing in the Dark,” will be published in a special literary issue of the Journal of Veterans Studies in Spring 2023.

Kacy Tellesen was born in Spokane and raised in Spangle, Washington, a small farming community that clings to the edge of the Palouse. Kacy joined the Marine Corps infantry directly out of high school and deployed twice to Iraq as an Infantry machine gunner with Second Battalion, Third Marines from 2005-2009. He lives in Spangle, Washington with his wife and two children and is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor at Gonzaga University School of Law.Kacy's debut memoir, Freaks of a Feather, has been reviewed and excerpted by Task & Purpose, The War Horse, The Big Smoke, KHQ, and others. Previously, his work has appeared in The New York Times, Zero-Dark-Thirty literary journal, as well as the SOFLETE website.

Ben Cantwell is a USMC veteran, firefighter and artist from Northern California. His original work reflects his experience as an infantry veteran. Featuring an array of styles, moods and themes, Cantwell's work is available on custom shirts, playing cards, patches and more. See it here.

Francisco is a product of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and serves as an editor and contributing writer to Panorama: The Journal of Intelligent Travel. He is an Into the Fire writing retreat scholarship recipient, and a Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellow. He is a product of the Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project, and the Veteran's Summer Writing Intensive at Marlboro College sponsored by Words After War. He also participates in a Veterans Playwriting Workshop, created by the Theatre Communications Group as part of their Veterans & Theatre Institute, at the La Jolla Playhouse. Francisco's work has been featured in The Line Literary Review, Hippocampus Magazine, Iron & Air (Issue 41), Wrath-Bearing Tree, Consequence, BULL, Hobart, Construction Literary Magazine, Split Lip, The War Horse, River Teeth: Beautiful Things, Collateral Journal, and the Dominican Writer's Association. He is also a contributing co-editor in the second volume of the Incoming series Sex, Drugs, and Copenhagen.

Denis Meadows has been plying the craft of playwriting for a long time, encouraged along the way by the likes of Lloyd Richards, Austin Pendleton, Zoe Caldwell, Audrey Wood, Bill Irwin and Robert Ganz. His play A BRUSH AGAINST THE INDIFFERENCE OF THE UNIVERSE placed second (out of over 200 submissions) in VetRep's latest 10-minute playwriting competition.

David M. Stamps has developed a play entitled, “The Black Bullet Dichotomy.” It placed as a Finalist in the Arts in the Armed Forces Competition. As well as, Finalist in The Writer's Guild Foundation, a non-profit affiliated with The Writer's Guild of America Veteran's Writing Program.As a Writer/Producer, through his production company, SPOKEN WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, he wrote, produced, performed, and marketed his perennial Spoken Word Film, “The Deadly Ms. Susan Aside.” His latest Spoken Word song, “The Night-Mare” is available here.David has taken classes through (TRU) Theater Resources Unlimited. He has taken The Producer Development and Mentoring Program (PDMP and PDMP PLUS), developed to help self-producing artists to advance in the creative arts.As a teenager, David hosted, produced, and wrote for a segment on the legendary FRANKIE CROCKER RADIO SHOW on WBLS. His segment increased the show's listenership by over 3 million, over the course of 18 months. An iconic voice during “The Golden Age of Hip-Hop” in 1982, he was a trailblazer and Master Storyteller. He was also one of the original producers for Def Poetry Jam.Stamps is the Artist-In-Residence, for Senator Leroy Comrie's Veteran's Advisory Board, in St. Albans, Queens. He performs his poetry at events for Homeless Veterans and fundraisers on the Senator's behalf.

Arianna Rose is a professional Playwright, Musical Theatre Writer, Dramaturg, Visual Artist and Educator. She is the recipient of the MAC Song of the Year Award, the York Theatre NEO Award, and various best play/playwright awards from Theatre Odyssey, Tree City Playhouse, Mixing It Up Productions, the Know Theatre, Studio 1 Theatre, South Baldwin Theatre, Veterans Repertory Theatre and Clocktower Theatre Company. Her plays and musicals have been presented to date in twenty-seven states and seven countries. She was selected 4 years in a row for Theatre Lab at FAU's New Works Festival readings, 3 years in a row for Theatre Three's One-Act Play Festival, and selected twice for Theatre Odyssey's Ten-Minute Play Festival, winning best play there for FAMILY BY NUMBERS. Arianna was a 2020 finalist for the Edward Kleban Lyric Writing Award. She was one of the three finalists for the 2020 Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing in the UK, which included a production of her one-act version of Touch The Moon at The Windsor Fringe Festival. Arianna was one of four playwrights selected for the 2019-2021 Miami-Dade County Council of Cultural Affairs Playwright Development Program, moderated by Kia Corthron. Two of her full-length plays developed in the program have gone on to have readings and workshops across the country and awarded finalist status in many playwriting competitions. She was a 2022 participant in the Kennedy Center Playwrights Intensive and the William Inge Theatre Festival Playlab. Edge Media Network lauded Ms. Rose's play FAMILY BY NUMBERS, calling it “One of the best plays” with a “powerfully haunting conclusion”. The world premiere was at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, NY in April 2019 with more than 20 productions across the country. It's been selected twice for Columbia University's Narrative Medicine Program. It is published in the 2021 Smith & Kraus Anthology of Best 10-Minute Plays and Theatre Odyssey Best Plays Anthology, joining her other winning play SEX, LIES & STYROFOAM. Arianna also has monologues published in Applause Books “Best New Monologue Anthologies “ 2019 and 2020. Full-length plays: TOUCH THE MOON. Selected by HRC Showcase Theater New Works Festival and Fantasy Theatre Factory's New Year, New Works Series for staged readings in 2021-2022. Semi-finalist, Garry Marshall Theatre New Works Festival 2020; Honorable Mention, Panndora's Box 2020 New Play Festival. A one-act version was produced at the 2020 Windsor Fringe Festival UK, The Know Theatre 2019, and selected for the William Inge Theatre Festival New Play Lab 2020. THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION has been developed at the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council PLAYWRIGHT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. It was one of five plays selected nationwide for the 2021 Finstrom Festival of New Plays at Zoetic Stage in Miami Florida. Readings followed at the Sandrell Rivers Theatre in Miami. The Playwrights Center in Minneapolis held a workshop and reading of the piece in June 2022, followed by a zoom reading by VS Theatre Company in Los Angeles. Full-length musicals: THE LOST GIRL musical, written with Jonathan Larson and Fred Ebb award winner Ben Bonnema, was selected for the Buck Hill Skytop Music Festival, Viterbo New Works Festival, NYU Steinhardt's School of Music, the year-long CDP workshop, the 2021 Florida Festival of New Musicals, and JetFest 2022 in Michigan . It is regularly featured on Musical Theatre Radio. A musical version of her play THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION entitled A COLLECTIBLE SENSATION is in development with director Clayton Phillips and composer Amy Engelhardt. A CHANGE OF HEART is currently in development with composer Tom...

Deborah Yarchun is a New Jersey-born, Air Force-raised, and Austin-rooted playwright; her plays are just as geographically discombobulated. She's currently LA/NYC-based. Her plays have been produced and/or developed at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, The Civilians' R&D Group, Capital Rep, The New Harmony Project, Martha's Vineyard Playhouse, Amphibian Stage Productions, The Great Plains Theater Conference, Jewish Ensemble Theater, The Playwrights' Center, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, TheatreSquared's Arkansas New Play Festival, the William Inge Center for the Arts, Jewish Plays Project, the Minnesota Fringe, Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company, Northern Stage, the Philadelphia Fringe, The Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival, Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater by Young Playwrights Inc., Williams Street Rep, and at theaters and universities across the United States and in Canada.Deborah's honors include two Jerome Fellowships at The Playwrights' Center, a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellowship, an EST/Sloan Commission, Dartmouth's Neukom Literary Arts Award for Playwriting, The Kennedy Center's Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, the Kernodle New Play Award, the Richard Maibaum Playwriting Award, and Women in the Arts & Media Coalition's Collaboration Award. Her play GREAT WHITE was an Honorable Mention for the Relentless Award and her play ATLAS, THE LONELY GIBBON was a finalist for the 2021 National Playwrights Conference. Deborah is a 2021-2024 Core Writer at The Playwrights' Center and a New Georges Affiliated Artist. She earned her M.F.A. from the University of Iowa where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow.Deborah is the winner of VetRep's latest full-length playwriting competition for her play TECTONIC MELANGE. Her play THE CALM BEFORE is currently in development with VetRep.

Mike Reynolds is an active duty Marine and Marine Corps Combat Artist. With roots at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA while attending some very basic elective art classes; following the attacks of September 11th, 2001, he left college and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. As an Ammunition Technician he has been assigned to 10th Marine Regiment, 8th Marine Regiment, and Combat Logistics Regiment-35. As a Chief Warrant Officer, he has served with 3rd Supply Battalion, Marine Corps Systems Command, Marine Corps Base Quantico, and as an LDO he currently serves with Marine Forces Special Operations Command. A veteran of OIF, OEF, and OIR he has done his share of creating unit t-shirts and coins, but took a more focused approach to creating artwork in recent years.“A few years after transitioning to the Warrant Officer ranks, I volunteered to assist the annual Warrant Officer Basic Course at Quantico, Virginia. I was was teamed with Staff Platoon Commander and Marine Corps Combat Artist, Captain Charles “CJ” Baumann where I rediscovered my passion for art in working with him and studying his work.”Mike's passion for creating artwork stems from the idea that art should tell a story, and the stories of the GWOT demand to be told.Check out Mike's work here.

Steve Callahan is a writer, a poet and a former Marine infantryman. Bursting with creative efforts, Steve runs a poetry site, podcast, and is heavily involved in PB Abbate. As someone who separated from the Corps this past February, Steve's writing about the Marines, his deployment to Helmand and the psychological peaks and valleys of an infantryman's life feels very fresh and relevant. In fact, I find that Steve writes about the Marines in a very post-breakup sort of way – a kind of writing loaded with raw, tender-to-the-touch emotions. This is somewhat by design. Steve was a writer from an early age. Much like Jack Kerouac or George Orwell, Steve felt an innate compulsion to shuck the comfortable malaise of young writer for the constant discontent of an adventurer. In Steve's case, that meant joining the Marine Corps. After a somewhat fulfilling, somewhat demoralizing six year stint, Steve now finds himself tackling his novel, his poetry and short stories with a renewed perspective and a greater understanding of humanity at the extremes. This was an incredibly enjoyable chat with a true artist whose stroll down a warrior's path has left him a far more interesting writer and thinker.

Angelo T. Robinson is an interdisciplinary artist and photographer who lives and works out of Senoia, GA. A self-taught artist, he joined the US Navy in 1992, where he served ten years active duty and four years in the Naval Reserves as a Seabee. Traveling to locales such as Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Africa, France, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Egypt, the Virgin Islands, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates greatly influenced Angelo's approach to art. The vibrancy, diverse richness and simple beauty of the cultures he experienced are shown throughout his work.His work exudes a level of spirituality and an organic connection with the human condition. This reflects his experiences growing up as the son and grandson of preachers. Angelo's creations invite the viewer to participate in a physical, mental or spiritual dialogue with what they experience. Deep vibrant abstracts, joyous colorful mixed-media portraits, and majestic sports pieces are brought to life using vivid colors and bold compositions.Yellowtub Creative

Don't listen to this week's episode. Seriously. We wanted to do a cool, year-end episode to talk about the highs and lows of VetRep's first calendar year - and we did that. Star, Dex, and Lilla were great - funny, moving, poignant even - but, well, it just sucks to do a four-person Zoom podcast. Everyone's muted when they're not talking so you don't hear the laughing or crosstalk that makes it seem like, well, four people talking. Instead it sounds like we're each in our own little pods speaking in isolation. I was dangerously close to scrapping the whole thing. But I didn't. There are some wonderful memories that are worth sharing and remembering. Hopefully those will outweigh the technical blahs. But if you haven't listened before - don't let this be your first episode. We're so much better than this. Have I undersold the episode enough? Thanks to everyone who has listened this year, not to mention our outstanding guests. It's been a privilege to bring you the stories of so many veteran artists. We can't wait do it again next year. Happy New Year everyone!

The son of a WWII combat veteran, Fred Graver is an American television comedy writer, producer, and network executive.Fred was co-editor-in-chief of National Lampoon along with Sean Kelly, under the pseudonym L. Dennis Plunkett. He left the Lampoon in 1984 to join Late Night with David Letterman, where he worked as a writer until 1990. While at Letterman, he wrote several unproduced screenplays with Kevin Curran (who also edited National Lampoon).In 1990, Graver worked for Norman Lear's production company Tandem Productions. He left a year later to join the staff of In Living Color, where he worked until 1992, when he joined the staff of Cheers as a writer and eventual co-producer.In 1994, the Northridge earthquake convinced Graver and good friend Charlie Rubin to return to New York, where the two wrote for The Jon Stewart Show.In 1995, Graver leapt into the internet as executive producer of convergence programming Disney and ABC Cable. In 1999, he began work as an executive at MTV Networks and VH1, where he joined their MTV Networks Online division as head of VH1.com and Sonicnet.com. He then went into television programming as the head of VH1, and created the show Best Week Ever. In 2010, Fred was named SVP of Programming for the Travel Channel. In 2012, Graver joined Twitter as Creative Director of Media Partnerships.Most recently, Fred served as Chief Judge of VetRep's playwrighting competition.Follow Fred here.

Army combat veteran Christopher Soucy is an actor, puppeteer, director, screenwriter, and playwright living in Savannah, Georgia. He has been writing for stage and screen for over 20 years.Read some of Chris' poetry on the Savage Wonder literary blog here.Chris tweets here.Follow Chris here.

Chris Sparks is an Army veteran who could speak Arabic, a former police officer and current stand-up comic. More than that, he's an incredibly affable, humble, intelligent and ambitious guy. His documentary Thank Me for My Service: A Veteran's Cry for Help is a tough watch. It is tough technically – intentionally – and it is tough because of its subject matter – which is Chris himself. The film captures a two-day period this past August when Chris finds himself in a manic state due to the meddling and persistent worrying of his family. Their worry is not without cause – Chris has a TBI and is bi-polar. But Chris' focus is on developing his one-man live show (of Thank Me For My Service) and he needs a few days of isolation to develop it, but instead has to navigate psychiatrist appointments and arguments. It should be the stuff of comedy – especially since Chris is a stand-up comic. It screams for the irreverence of Jack Nicholson or the fevered outbursts of a young Michael Keaton. Chris opts to take it all at face value and seriously – which seems very reasonable considering that the events of the film are still so fresh and raw in his mind. If comedy is tragedy plus time, the film needs time. That said, it is undoubtably raw, poignant and memorable, a worthy addition to the conversation about PTS, suicide prevention and the treatment of veterans in the healthcare system. With time and distance from these events, I think there is comedic gold in Chris' life and experiences. But Chris is just getting started. I think his next steps will be ones to watch, and I, for one, can't wait to see what they are.

Nicholas Efstathiou is a US Army veteran. He writes horror, paranormal, and strange fiction. He has worked as a bookmobile driver, a librarian, a trashman, a bookseller, and now as a teacher. He has also ghostwritten dozens of popular books. His writing @crossmassachusetts is not for the faint of heart.

Kristopher Battles is a contemporary fine artist creating artworks in a variety of media which honor the highest traditions of representational art.Battles graduated with a BFA in Painting from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) in December 1991, and earned his MFA in Illustration from the University of Hartford in September 2013.Originally serving as a Marine Reservist from 1986 until 1996, Battles became a Marine combat artist after reenlisting in 2006, and deployed to Overseas Contingency Operations several times to create art for the United States Marine Corps, serving in that billet until 2014. From 2014 until 2019, Battles served as a civilian combat artist for the Naval History and Heritage Command at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC. Battles is currently the Marine Corps Artist in Residence, on staff at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA.His work has been featured in publications and art venues across the country, including the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. as a part of the art show “Fly Marines! The Centennial of Marine Corps Aviation 1912-2012” from January 2012 through January 2013.Battles' work was featured on the cover of Leatherneck magazine, March 2008, December 2009, and August 2020. His illustrations for the “Sharing the Courage” series were featured in Marines magazine, Oct/Nov/Dec 2009, and in a Marine Corps Times article “Heroics illustrated, comic-book style” by James K Sanborn, March 22nd, 2010.Battles was featured in the New York Times Arts & Leisure section on July 18th, 2010, in an article by Carol Kino entitled, “With Sketchpads and Guns, Semper Fi”. Battles has been invited to be a guest speaker and artist for many events and organizations. He was featured at USS Constitution Museum, Boston, MA during Marine Week in May, 2010, and his work was also on display May 5th 2010 in the John F. Kennedy School of Government for Harvard University. Battles was also guest speaker at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, January 28th 2011, and was forum speaker at The Army and The Navy Club in Washington, DC March 2nd, 2011.Battles was featured in ABC ‘s “Persons of the Week: Combat Artists” with Charlie Gibson, September 2007, along with fellow combat artist and Hartford MFA alumnus Michael Fay, and combat artists Charles Grow and Col Charles Waterhouse.Battles is a 2008 and 2010 recipient of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's John W. Thomason Award for excellence in combat art, and the 2010 and 2011 recipient of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondence Association's Merit Award for Combat Art.Follow the Marine Corps Combat Art Program hereFollow Kris here

Stephen Camelio is a screenwriter and son of a Vietnam veteran who died from complications due to Agent Orange. Stephen's first film is Mending the Line, the story of a Marine returning from Afghanistan who finds mental health through fly fishing. Previously, Stephen was a freelance writer and former editor at In Style magazine. His work has appeared in books and countless publications including ESPN The Magazine, Field & Stream, Entertainment Weekly and Men's Journal. Having been a long-time contributor of reviews to Publisher's Weekly, he's adapting books about the Vietnam War and the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone into TV/film projects. He's also developing a script about being a founding member of the Scorpions, the world's manliest book club. A graduate of Villanova University with masters degrees from NYU and Queens University in Belfast, he lives in Montana, where he fishes, hunts and plays princesses with his two young daughters.Follow Stephen here

A Seattle-based playwright, photographer and novelist, https://www.davidtuckerphotography.com/ (David A. Tucker II) has had several of his plays produced and/or developed at theaters across the nation, including Seattle Repertory Theatre, Abingdon Theater Co., ACT, Tacoma Actors Guild, and Foothill Theater Co. His theatrical works include The Nude, Persistence of Vision, Another Day in Baghdad (about his military experiences in Iraq), Under the Skin and North Wind Blowin', a play with music.  David received 2016 GAP funding for Smoke, a project where he interviews, photographs and videotapes members of Ebola burial teams as well as medical personnel who combatted the disease, an Ebola survivor, and staff on the Dead Body Management Teams in Liberia. His intent is to capture this challenging time in West African history by creating a theatrical work that weaves not only dialogue based upon these interviews, but also black and white photographs and video footage of the Liberian people and the locations in which these events took place. David has also been creating fine art and documentary photographs since 1980. His photographic series, The Human Landscape, explores the human figure in studio and natural environments. In 1995 he began DANCEWORKS, collaborating with ballet and modern dancers to capture the transitory beauty of dancers in motion. He continues to explore and add new images to each photographic series. The images in DEPLOYED: Haiti, Kosovo, Iraq were taken from 1994 - 2004 while a member of the U.S. Army. Tucker has exhibited and sold his photographs at a number of galleries and museums throughout the nation, including the Springfield Art Museum, Blue Sky Gallery, Photographic Center NW, M.I.A. Gallery, New York Center for Photography, Lightbox Photography Gallery, the DeMatteis Gallery, Silver Image Gallery, PhotoZone Gallery, Lumina Gallery and Photography West Gallery. His works may be found in several private collections. As both a fine art and journalism photographer, his images have been published in numerous publications including Black & White Magazine, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, The Seattle Times, American Theatre Magazine, Dramatics Magazine, InTheatre Magazine, and the book, "Theater in America."

https://www.instagram.com/james_henry44/ (James David Henry) is an Army Ranger and combat veteran turned actor, playwright and screenwriter. He graduated from NYU's Grad Acting Program in 2021. James will appear as one of the two leads in the upcoming feature film Sirens as well as Gareth Edwards' science fiction blockbuster True Love, releasing in 2023. Follow him https://www.jamesdavidhenry.com/jamesdavidhenry (here).

As the Producing Director at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Jon Jory directed over 125 plays and produced over 1,000 during his 32-year tenure. He conceived the internationally lauded Humana Festival of New American Plays, the SHORTS Festival, and the Brown-Forman Classics-in-Context Festival. He was also the Artistic Founding Director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, and he has been inducted in New York's Theatre Hall of Fame. Mr. Jory has directed professionally in nine nations, and in the United States has directed productions at many regional theatres including Washington's Arena Stage, San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, Hartford Stage, the McCarter in Princeton, Guthrie Theatre, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has received the National Theatre Conference Award and ATA Distinguished Career Award. For his commitment to new plays, he has received the Margo Jones Award twice, the Shubert Foundation's James N. Vaughan Memorial Award for Exceptional Achievement and Contribution to the Development of Professional Theatre, Carnegie Mellon's Commitment to Playwriting Award, and the Special Tony Award for Achievement in Regional Theatre. He currently teaches acting and directing at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.