About VETERANS THEATER	Our PLAYS	SOLUTIONS	Media	Financials	How Cities React to Homeless	CONTACT US

• VETERANS THEATER Training Manual pdf
• STAGE PLOT for Nov 30 rehearsal and Dec 2nd PLAY at Rio Grande Theater
• SONG and video PLOT for Nov 30 Rehearsal
• Ad Sales PACKET in Word for Program/Playbill for 2015/2016 season
• SPICE ADS & SIGNS

 

VETERANS THEATER PLAYS PERFORMED

 

1 book draft

2 LABELS play draft

 

Help us put on next play: Donate to Veterans Theater GoFundMe

 

 

Displaying this HOMELESS SIGN: "American, I NEED WORK" in Las Cruces will get you between a $950 and $1,500 fine. I borrowed the sign from a homeless person, seeking work, and snapped a photo.

There have been fines for Panhandling in Las Cruces, and selling newspapers or anything else on street corners, since 1992. But, if a person wants to work.

Get Labeled "homeless" and you face an uphill battle getting a job, getting services for our Veteran Homeless is tough. Support New Play called LABELS. Stories come from 'reality'. We are rehearsing twice a week for Ded. 16th at Alma d'Arte. Showing is Free. We have costs. We depend on your Help. Give $10 or $100. Thanks

PROJECT VETERANS THEATER Mission Statement: Making Space for Veterans Stories

 

Click Here - Please Print Entire 7 page Ad Sales Pitch and Order Receipt Packet for 2015-2016 PROGRAM & PLAYBILL

• We are planning two more 2017 performances
  
• Your ad is permanent for the entire season
  
• We include your ad & logo and link on our website at no extra cost - http://veteranstheater.com and on our blogs ---

  for the entire season of Veterans Theater plays. Or Please print this short form front and back in WORD

  Click Here - for Ad Sales Receipts for Volunteers to use

  Click Here - for Ad Space Trade Out for non-monetary services receipt

  Click here for Sales Pitch for Volunteers selling ad space or trades to use!

 

Veterans Theater Troop

 

 

Aaron and Earnest making Storyboards

James Spins the SPICE Wheel of Fortune

• One of the scenes in the Feb 25 2016 performance is from WAITING TO DIE AT THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION play we performed in 2015
• See YouTube of rehearsal of Waiting to Die at the VA hospital
• See first performance YouTube of Waiting to Die at the VA hospital

From Left to Right, three students from NMSU ( Jacklyn Quezada, Ada Salazar, and MBA student Aaron Stoddard). working with three Army veterans: me (Boje), John, and Ernest (who is also President of Veterans Theater program). Jacklyn and Ada from  Phi Alpha Kappa Omega students, and the gentleman (MBA student, Aaron Stoddard). John, Ernest and I worked together developing formerly homeless veterans stories,

Phi Alpha Kappa Omega at NMSU has proposed to bring Veterans Theater to the next National Association of Social Workers annual conference, which will take place in Albuquerque, NM on February 24, 2016.  The overall objective is for Veterans Theater to publicize basic knowledge on homelessness, and other concerning issues among veterans at the conference.  We hope to educate the social work practice on barriers veterans encounter through the Veterans Administration, and engage them in real-life stories theatrically performed by homeless veterans.  We anticipate this to be an innovative way to demonstrate what a Veteran may experience in different scenarios through theatrical enactment as a mode of storytelling.

 

 

Feb 25 2016 play VETERANS THEATER is puttingon for the Social Work Conference meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico your donations are appreciated.

The Feb 25 2016 program:

Intro                   Susie Q (actors enter the stage)

Act I                   Viva Las Vegas (Mental Health Psychiatric Ward in Las Vegas, NM)

Act II                  Veterans Waiting to Die at the VA in El Paso

Act III                 Corporate Board Meeting (Drug Company) selling meds to the military and the VA

Act IV                  Spice Head Falls Out (Social Work Session) - Spice is synthetic Weed and is sprayed with chemicals imported from China that can kill

Following each act we will interact with the National Association of Social Workers audience to highlight areas meaningful to their profession.

1. A 4 act play on NMSU campus planned for October, 2015: Acts include Sussy Q, Viva Las Vegas, Spicehead Fallout, and Great Conference; Theme of play is how there are homeless from other cities being driven to by the police to some other city, including ours. own Las Cruces.
2. Veterans Week at New Mexico State University, perform play with Center for Performing Arts and Creative Media assistance, during month of November, 2015
3. Short 1 act play for City of Las Cruces, City Council, date to be announced, then we would like support for a four act play to take place at Rio Grande Theater (which all has to be negotiated).

 

We had a special ‘Early Christmas’ performance of Veterans Theater. One ad takes your message through one FULL season 2015-2016

PLEASE HELP US: PRINT THIS POSTER in 2 MEG STYLE - POST IN YOUR BUILDING

Click here- PRINT THIS POSTER in 2 MEG STYLE - POST IN YOUR BUILDING

 

Here is your FREE TICKET:

 

 

SAVE THE DATE for 1st Annual VETERANS THEATER presents: ‘Early Christmas’ pay 7PM December 2nd Rio Grande Theater.  veteranstheater@gmail.com MORE AT http://veteranstheater.com

COST OF Rental of Rio Grande Theater, for insurance $100 and for rehearsal time is $400, for total cost of $500. In return for donation, your name and/or company ad will be listed on the Theater PlayBill

HOW TO HELP:

A Note From the Director

We have a special ‘Early Christmas’ performance of Veterans Theater. One ad takes your message through one FULL season 2015-2016:

• Our December 2nd EARLY CHRISTMAS production in Rio Grande Theater has 421 seats

• Our February 25th 2016 Albrqueuque performance is the the Social Work Conference
  

• We are planning two more 2016 performances
  

• Your ad is permanent for the entire season
  

• We include your ad & logo and link on our website at no extra cost - http://veteranstheater.com and on our blogs
  In Total, we will print over 1,000 playbills in 2015-2016 season.

 

• Our December 2nd EARLY CHRISTMAS production in Rio Grande Theater has 421 seats

d Sales Pitch and Order Receipt Packet for 2015-2016 PROGRAM & PLAYBILL for the entire season of Veterans Theater plays. Or Please print this short form front and back in WORD

For questions or more information, send email to Dr. David Boje at veteranstheater@gmail.com

HERE IS YOUR FREE INVITATION: Share it with a friend.

You can give a gift basket or other gift, to help in the fight against the SPICE BUSINESS.

HOW DOES EARLY CHRISTMAS GIVING AND RECEIVING WORK?

Very Simple: Just Fill out this online form and send to Dr. Boje at Veterans Theater:

1. Your Name:

2. Your E-mail:

3. What Gift do you want to receive on Dec. 2nd at the play, "Early Christmas" from a member of our Veterans Theater :

4. What gift do you want to Give to a Veteran and/or their family member?

5. One last Question:

Yes, I can you attend the December 2nd 7PM play 'EARLY CHRISTMAS' presented by VETERANS' THEATER troop at the RIO GRANDE THEATER on Main Street, downtown Las Cruces, New Mexico?

if not I can not personally attend Thank you for supporting veterans and their family members.

LAST STEP:

If your SEND EMAIL did not work, then simply, copy above questions and send an email now to Dr. David Boje at veteranstheater@gmail.com.

Thank you!

 

Some gift basket ideas for our Veterans, leading up to EARLY CHRISTMAS event:

1. From Ada and her family are getting into Old New Mexico Spirit of Give and Receive, in an Early Christmas
2. Hi, Ada would like to GIVE the following GIFT that is either handmade or GIVE to someone my very own 1 to 5 hours of service time, This is my story, my parents (reside in Los Angeles, CA) lost their home and were homeless after the financial crisis in 2006. I didn’t find out until they had already found shelter at church. My father lost his job and fell in a depressive episode as a result of frustrating situation for the family. In the Latino culture a man must be a provider and keep the family together and safe. Not being able to put a roof over the family’s head must’ve been devastating for my father. NO, You can't share it THIS IS GIFT I WANT TO GIVE Quesadilla (Salvadoran pound cake) Thank you I am going to share this with a friend who needs to receive and give a gift. http://veteranstheater.com
3. Hi, Andres Salazar (13 year old) would like to GIVE the following GIFT that is either handmade or GIVE to someone my very own 1 to 5 hours of service time, This is my story, my mother is an advocate for homeless veterans and currently attends NMSU as a social work student major. THIS IS GIFT I WANT TO GIVE handwoven survival bracelet.
4. Hi, Jose Salazar Jr. (16 year old) would like to GIVE the following GIFT that is either handmade or GIVE to someone my very own 1 to 5 hours of service time, This is my story, my parents work hard to provide the special needs I require, in order to be a successful student. I struggle with autism and ADHD at school but that has not stopped me to become a great architect. NO You can't share it THIS IS GIFT I WANT TO GIVE handwoven survival bracelet or something built with wood.
5. Hi, Esteban Salazar (8 year old) would like to GIVE the following GIFT that is either handmade or GIVE to someone my very own 1 to 5 hours of service time, THIS IS GIFT I WANT TO GIVE my mom will help me bake another Salvadoran Quesadill
6. Ada would like to get trained on how to write grant proposals :). Jose, Andy, and Esteban said they don’t want anything in return because “veterans have already served our country”.
7. From Mike Bonifer: if you have a Vet in your network who can play the guitar and sing, I'll collaborate with him/her on it. The gift is called Songs of Remembrance. It is a set list of songs I've been singing in Assisted Living Centers for the past 5 or 6 years. The songs are intended to connect with the memories of residents, and evoke happy thoughts. They're a mix of old-time gospel (Swing Low Sweet Chariot), folk songs (You Are My Sunshine), and classic R & B and pop (My Girl). Let us know if you are the Singing Vet, and if you know someone, put me in touch, and I'll arrange it.
8. From: veteran Steven Krog, wants to give gift: to fix a bike radio, and wants to recive computer system with a flat screen monitor. David Boje has a flat monitor screen, but will need someone to gift a desktop compute, and time to hook it up, in Las Cruces.
   
9. From David Boje: 5 hours of STORYTELLING HEALING to a veteran and their family. It includes sandtray work, and restorying sessions, to put the stuck-in-the-past story in the rear view, and develop a 'new story' path to the future.
10. From David Boje: 3 hours of Blacksmith work by a rank amateur, on any project you like. I have a shop on the east mesa of Las Cruces, New Mexico. I have made gate hinges, gate handles, lawn sculptures, and jewelry (copper rings, pendents). Tell me a project and will try to make it happen.
11. From: David Boje, and Electric Cargo Bike for Ernest Ramey and his 2 dogsWill need old iron bike frame, and some square tubing, to weld up in my blacksmith shop. My good friend Ernest Ramey (Army Veteran in right of photo) wants this gift of a Christiania Cargo Bike. As an amateur blacksmith, I David Boje (Vietnam Veteran, center of photo) and James (at left) are going to endeavor to make one. It will take two electric motor kits on the front wheels So if you have a spare boke (orin, not aluminum), and some used electirc bike kits, etc. let me know.

What are your gift projects? Send to veteranstheater@gmail.com

 

YOU CAN ALSO BE A CO-SPONSOR:

Be an 'EARLY CHRISTMAS' play CO-SPONSOR at 1st Annual Veterans Theater on Dec 2nd 7pm at RIO GRAND Theater Las Cruces, NM reserve seat at our GoFundMe

Donate online to BE A CO-SPONSOR OF VETERANS THEATER play 'Early Christmas' play - Dec 2nd 2015 at RIO GRANDE THEATER, 7PM.

Tina Dalcour says I mde the First stocking made! I will give instructions in a note on my page. It is a 7 inch one - 399 more to collect

 

In Old New Mexico the pueblos reflected the deeper expression of a giving and receiving community (Cajete, 2015: 3).

• Helping veterans or family member plant their gardens
• Gathering medicine plants with my grandmother
• Helping grandfather separate bees from their honey
• Spending time to listen to all their stories
• Plastering an adobe house of a neighbor
• Baking fresh bread, pies, cookies to give away
• Teaching a four year old son how to catch a rabbit

This Old New Mexico sense of community revolved around reciprocal giving and receiving all year round. Old New Mexico "was a form of reciprocal giving" and receiving that spread all around the Old Southwest in ways that changes lives (Cajete, 2015: 3). There is a web of living stories of giving and receiving that forms the continuity of Old New Mexico pueblo communities. Giving and receiving is a way to learn to care for one another, to give back the life received in Old New Mexico spacetimemattering.

Our December 2nd PROJECT VETERANS THEATER at the Old Rio Grande Theater is NOT giving and receiving in the way of the modern shopping mall. It is NOT the "self-absorbed Eurocentric social environment" rather it is something professor Gregory Cajete calls creating the balance, rhythm, and meaning of "connective ecology" (p. 11). It is our reciprocal relationship to community, people, Nature-relationships land, plants, and animals of New Mexico, in an Old School approach to giving and receiving.

New Mexico is becoming SpiceZombieLand. Our ‘Early Christmas” play on December 2nd at Las Cruces New Mexico’s Rio Grande Theater has one message: don’t give the gift of Spice as a stocking stuffer, because SpiceBusiness is making Zombies of both rich and poor, young and old.

 

 

See BLOG post on the SPICE WORLD becomes GLOBAL BUSINESS of SPICE, WELCOME TO SPICEWORLD!

the SpiceBusiness Product Line

“Dear Mr. SpiceBusinessman, I am the SpiceZombie of Christmas Past!”Did you know, “Spice Took My Life?” I was eight years in the Navy, and I got seduced by a SpiceHead. He got me to take two tokes on a SpiceJoint. I vomited, convulsed, and went unconscious. After a few more SpiceTokes, I was addicted. I no longer wanted ‘real’ marjuana, the synthetic brand would do. I began to believe the advertising of the SpiceMarketeers, that Spice is harmless. I rationalized, ‘Hey, it does not show up on urine test, or a breath analyzer, so who is going to find out.’ My unit found out, so I took the easy out and commited suicide!  Thank you Mr. SpiceBusinessman.

Dear Mr. SpiceBusinessman, I am the SpiceZombie of Christmas Present!” Did you know, “SpiceHeads are falling out, overdosing, and its more than New Mexico Health care can handle?  Bunch of private heatlth care providers were put out of business by the State for not keeping accurate records of clients.  New Mexico budget, again on the delince, so legislators are taking money away from Higher Education, which means, training less social workers, nurses, doctors, and administrators at New Mexico State University?” Did you know that in first two days of October 2015, our hospitals in Las Cruces, had 17 overdoses, and that two died.  That is 17 overdoses and two dead in 48 hours! The health care system of New Mexico is so broke, it cannot afford the Spice Detection Kits at http://spiceisnotnice.org (free to non-profits). The Gift of Spice is Not Nice! Thanks Mr. SpiceBusinessman.

 

Hey Mr. SpiceBusinessman, I know what you do is legal, since your factory keeps swapping out the chemicals that your workers spray on the poupouri. But did you know that the SpiceTrade is turning more and more people into Zombies. The Demon is out! $10 SpiceBag can me purchased at the Smokeshops, and then its cut into small baggies, and for $2 each the Middle and High School kids can toke up going to school. Did you know your product is so successful, its being over-consumed by the wealthy class, by professionals everywhere. Whose to know, sneak a Toke in the bathroom, then take a puff of a cigarette, and no one will know. Except, now everyone is getting seizures, termors, vomiting, and when conscious they are hallucinating, paranod, and so aggressive, they are so numb they are unable to speak, waking around all numb, in a daze. Welcome to the Future, and its called SpiceZombieLand! Mr. Businessman, what are you going to do about it?    

There are a few choices, a Gift Mr. SpiceExecutive, that you can give to New Mexico. Funds to open that unfunded TriCare building, some detox accessible to SpiceZombies, befure they have an entire SpiceZombieArmy, how about going to the Chamber of Commerce and return your membership, and go to Codes and turn in your Business License. Clearly you do not merit a Business License to produce, distribute, market, and profit from death.  Mr. SpiceBusinessman, what are you going to do about it. ee BLOG post for more.

The overall objective is for Veterans Theater to publicize basic knowledge on homelessness, and other concerning issues among veterans. Latest Blog - why we don't give at food and clothing drives? We earn our money putting on plays to paying customers!

PLEASE PRINT AND POST OUR BROCHURE for our next performance 7PM December 2nd Wednesday 2015 at Rio Grande Theater, 420 seats, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Thank You!

December 2nd at Rio Grande Theater in Las Cruces New Mexico at 7PM THE VETERANS THEATER play

'EARLY CHRISTMAS' - do not give gift of SPICE

 

 

 

... "VA is lying, Veterans are dying." On Monday, the first billboard in El Paso went up at the ...

 

Ruth Rivas is our guest star, sharing the story of what happened to her son Adam, when he got hooked on Spice. He is not alone, it is the #2 drug in the U.S.

At the Dec 2nd play, "Early Christmas" we focus on how this gift will take your life.

Retired Professor John Huffman

I play John Huffman, the professor, who invented Spice, in-order-to get around Clemson University's Institutional Review Board rejection of his Marijuana study, which was approved when he invented 'Spice' and then did publish the actual authentic recipe in a journal article.

The Spice Epidemic is beyond the combined budgets of all the cities and the entire state of New Mexico. Cities, the Police, and even Department of Health are driving SpiceHeads to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and then after very short sort of treatment, they are driven to one of the few ciites with a mssion or a shelter, who might accept a treater-SpiceHead.

Las Vegas, NM Territorial Insane Asylum
http://www.koat.com/news/target-7-goes-inside-the-las-vegas-mental-institution/25885364 Built 1889, renamed Behavioral Hospital for the Insane, and more recently Behavioral Health Institute, aka Psychiatric Hospital

We at Veterans Theater beleive that the real story, is how the Middle Class has fallen into the Poverty Class, while the Upper .001% Wealthy walk away with all the money.

source: Census Data, not HUD data.

 

We packed the house in record numbers on August 4 2015

 

PRINT FLYER FOR THE Aug 4th 2015 Veterans Theater present "A Day in the LIFE AT CAMP HOPE"

See video about the Good Samaritan efforts at Camp Hope.

3:23

Serving God's children through Tent City donations in Las Cruces, NM

 

We SOLD OUT the play 'Dead While Waiting for My VA Appointment!’ performed by homeless veterans and the homeless community of Camp Hope, on APRIL 30th 5:00PM-7:00PM at New Mexico State University's Center for Performing Arts. Prices: Tickets $6 Students, $12 Adults (lodge), & $25 (Front Row). We used all the 70 chairs, ordered 30 more, and still people were standing against the walls to see the performance.

We focus two acts of the play on the VA wait times are so long that 19,400 veterans died waiting for care. The El Paso VA where we send vets from Las Cruces, has the LOWEST rating in the country. http://va-hospitals.healthgrove.com/
The VA needs to develop options other than more meds: VA spent about $3.7 billion and DOD spent about $7.7 billion on prescription drugs (2009).

There must be alternatives to just giving vets more and more meds. We end the play with an example of an alternative: VA in other states have places veterans and their families can go after deployment to work with horse, gardening, and get into Nature, to decompress.

Here is a YouTube of excerpt from the April 30th VETERANS THEATER perfmance of 'Dead while waiting for my VA appointment.

 

PRINT ABOVE FLYER AND POST EVERYWHERE

PASS OUT this 2 front/back brochure about the APRIL 30th Veterans Theater event 5:30PM Center for Performaing Arts at New Mexico State University

or here is the current playbill for the play itself

 

Students in a Management Course on Sustainability and a Social Work class in HSS, collaborated to work with homeless veterans, raising money to pay the theater costs at NMSU, and the costs of putting on the production. Money raised will help the veterans develop more plays, and speak up about their issues to a paying audience.

Here is a storybaord of the 5 act play:

 

 

Print the SPICE TOOK MY LIFE FLYER

We will focus on SPICE , which has led to veterans being dishonorably discharged, and homeless veterans who struggle to keep SPICE out of CAMP HOPE.

Adam Hernandez's mother, Ruth Rivas from El Paso is attending.
Her son, while in the Navy used SPICE and committed suicide.

"I am just so happy to see that someone has finally taken notice of the deadly impact spice is having on our active military and veterans.” - Ruth Rivas http://spiceisnotnice.org

 

How you can help: Click on GoFundMe - thank you!

 

 

Here is link to our first public live performance held March 18 2015 in case you missed it:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVw49dNWJYE&feature=youtu.be

Above NMSU professors Dr. Erika Gergerich and Dr. David Boje, directing Veterans Theater

My name is David M. Boje Ph.D. I am a Storytelling Change Agent, Amateur Blacksmith, & ‘Wells Fargo’ Chaired Professor at New Mexico State University, and Aalborg University awarded me their Honorary Doctorate and affiliated me with Material Storytelling Lab, Denmark. I am working with Dr. Erika Gergerich from NMSU Social Work to direct theater productions with the Veterans from Community of Hope.

The MGT375v (Sustainable Development and Global Environment) students (Areej, Luke, Sharron, & Meshal), the Veterans of Community of Hope (Ernst, Sykes, Johh Hawk, BA, Michael, and Dr Erika Gergerich’s social work students (Jen Kitcey, Maxie ...) are creating a SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS called ‘VETERANS’ THEATER’.
The "Veterans’ Theater” business is putting on plays in university, public school, and community theaters --- to paying customers.

 

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