Hartford, CT – January 6, 2015 – Hartford Stage will host a series of free public events in support of The Body of an American, which begins its month-long run on Thursday, January 7. These events were made possible through grants from Connecticut Humanities and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

An art exhibit featuring members of the Veterans Art Foundation will be displayed in The John and Kelly Hartman Foundation Lobby Thursday, January 7 through Sunday, January 31. The Foundation was created by Michael Hawley, an Iraq War veteran, in 2008 to help veterans cope with PTSD through art. The exhibit features original works of art in various mediums, including mixed media, photography, paint and textiles. The exhibit is free with admission to The Body of an American.

On Monday, January 11, photojournalist Paul Watson (the subject of The Body of an American) will make his only appearance at Hartford Stage via a moderated conversation with playwright Dan O’Brien and Dr. Harold I. Schwartz, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Hartford Hospital’s The Institute for Living at 7:30 pm. This free discussion will be held at Hartford Stage; please call the box office at 860-527-5151 to reserve a seat.

Hartford Stage will join forces with WNPR and The Mark Twain House & Museum to present “After War: What Happens Next?” on Thursday, January 14. This discussion will feature David Finkel, author of The Good Soldiers and Thank You for Your Service; Emma Sky, author of The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq; and Dan O’Brien, poet and playwright of The Body of an American. WNPR reporter Lucy Nalpathanchil moderates the conversation, which will cover the impact war has had on these writers, their work, our nation, and our world. The free event, to be followed by a book sale and signing, will be held at The Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Avenue, at 7 pm. Reservations are recommended as seating is limited; call (860) 247-0998.

A moderated panel discussion, The Journey Home: A Veteran’s Perspective, will be held following the 7:30 pm performance of The Body of an American on Thursday, January 21 at Hartford Stage. Participating panel organizations include Til Duty is Done, Giant Steps Art Therapy Program, Veterans Homefront Theatre, and Community Renewal Team. A variety of issues of concern to veterans – including PTSD, job reentry, homelessness, and reconnecting with loved ones – will be discussed. The panel discussion is free with admission to the play.

For additional information on The Body of an American and event programming, visit http://www.hartfordstage.org/body-of-an-american.

HARTFORD STAGE

Now in our 52^nd year, Hartford Stage is one of the nation’s leading resident theatres, known for producing innovative revivals of classics and provocative new plays and musicals, including 68 world and American premieres, as well as offering a distinguished education program, which reaches more than 20,000 students annually.

Hartford Stage has earned many of the nation’s most prestigious awards, including four 2014 Tony Awards for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical by Darko Tresnjak, and the 1988 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Other national honors include Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, OBIE, and New York Critics Circle awards. Hartford Stage has produced nationally renowned titles, including the New York transfers of Enchanted April, The Orphans' Home Cycle; Resurrection (later retitled Through the Night); and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Water by the Spoonful, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

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Hartford Stage to Host Free Public Events in Support of The Body of an American