Into the Fire : Had To Be Productions

This was an impactful, fast pace look at what veterans face when they are trying to reintegrate into civilian life and the community. The begining of the play starts in tribute to the title, Into the Fire.

Monterey Peninsula College, the college hosted Had To Be Productions: Into the Fire as part of their in service training for their faculty and staff, in order to address the more than 600 veterans attending the local community college.

The documentary theater featured actors Carrie Gibson and Anthony Curry, reenacting the interviews and stories of eleven veterans with disabilities and their families. 

Carrie Gibson and Anthony Curry performing Into the Fire. Click on picture to link to their website and to watch a sample of the production.

Carrie: "The average number of rounds shot in any firefight is 33-hundred."

 Anthony: "That's a lot of bullets flying. So you can't expect us not to be reactive. People have been shooting at us and we've been shooting back."

 Carrie: "When they shoot at us, we don't duck and cover."

Anthony and Carrie, together:

"We walk, into the fire."

When a soldier is being fired at, moving toward the shooter is actually the safest thing to do. So, instead of walking away, they walk “into the fire.” This training veterans had, that was essential to survival in the military, leads into many of the misunderstood habits caused by the hidden psychological impact that war when they are reintegrating into society as veterans. 

At the end of the production, Carrie and Anthony provided a workshop to reflect on the message and emotions brought up in the performance followed by a panel discussion by veteran students attending the college. This was the first time these performers presented at an all faculty event. The faculty seemed receptive to learning more about veteran culture and how to create the space in their classrooms and learn about resources and strategies to veterans "come all the way home."