Carthage College To Host A Vet Night Of The Arts

KENOSHA, WI — The fourth-annual Vet Night of the Arts will be held on Monday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Wartburg Theatre, located in the David A. Straz, Jr. Center.

Vet Night of the Arts features veteran and non-veteran artists who create artistic dialogue to honor veterans and start conversations to improve life for service members as they return to the civilian world.

The night is dedicated to raising awareness and a sense of understanding for veterans and their lives.

Through performance and visual arts, the event raises money for Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin, a nonprofit that assists homeless veterans with financial aid and provides them with emotional support.

This year’s event, titled “Stories of Service” will consist of two unique theatrical and storytelling events. The first event, “Voices of VOW 2019” was created from interviews with residents of the VOW Vet Village in Racine.

The residents discuss the realities of veteran homelessness and the hope that the VOW Village provides. The second part of the evening, “Welcome Back?”, is a play by Martin McClendon that follows the journey of two veterans as they struggle to return to civilian life and deal with their wounds, inside and out.

Both veterans are faced with constant difficulties, combined with the pain of returning to an unwelcoming community. “Welcome Back?” features award-winning Chicago actors and Carthage alumni Alex Johnson ’16 and Elodie Senetra ’13. Vet Night concludes with a talkback with the artists and members of the Veterans Outreach Community.

In addition to the performances, the theater lobby will host an exhibition of visual artwork by veterans and non-veterans, as well as light refreshments and a raffle featuring prizes donated by local businesses to raise money for VOW’s veteran village.

Tickets for Vet Night of the Arts are free, but are required, with a $10 suggested cash donation at the door. All proceeds will be donated to Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin to assist homeless veterans in Southeast Wisconsin.

Tickets can be obtained online 24/7 at carthage.edu/tickets or at the Box Office Tuesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.