In Conflict

By Brenda Grande

Have you ever…fought for something that you didn’t believe in?

In Conflict is a play about 15 young American soldiers who served in the Iraq War. The actors tell their stories directly to the audience through monologues adapted from interviews of young Iraq veterans.

All of the actors from In Conflict are either college students or recent college graduates, which made them seem so similar to me. One of the actors looked right at me as he spoke about his experience enlisting in the military, and it sounded so different coming from a peer. Some soldiers were excited to leave for Iraq, but others only joined the army so they could pay for college. When they returned from war, many soldiers had a difficult time readjusting to the American lifestyle, in addition to dealing with injuries and nightmares. Family and friends had a difficult time understanding what happened in Iraq and many soldiers did not have the words to describe their experiences.

I spoke with the author, Yvonne Latty, about her process of creating In Conflict. Ms. Latty interviewed veterans and wrote a book, which was then adapted into a play at Temple University with the young people I saw perform.

Culture Project presents Temple University’s production of In Conflict, based on Yvonne Latty’s book, adapted by Doug Wager.

$15 student tickets with ID• Barrow Street Theatre, 27 Barrow St. Visit www.cultureproject.org for schedule and more information.