From the director

In the summer of 2016, Occupied Territories was brought to the island of Martha’s Vineyard through the vision and generosity of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. Tom Bennett, a veteran and social worker who has worked on the Island for decades with combat veterans and their families, heard about Occupied Territories and believed it would be a powerful tool in the healing process for those in his group and other veterans and civilians on the Island.

We considered theaters for our residency, but ultimately decided to bring the piece to the American Legion, Post 186. We transformed their small gathering room into the two worlds of the play: a present day American basement and 1967 Vietnam.

Over our two weeks on the Island, we shared this play with veterans, their family members, young men about to join the Marines, and many others touched by PTSD, addiction, and intergenerational trauma.

The response was overwhelming.

– MOLLYE MAXNER

CAST

MILES   Elliott Bales
JUDE   Nancy Bannon
LUCKY   Freddie Bennett
ACE   Desmond Bing
SKI   Stephen Horst
ALEX   Harold Lawry
ALVAREZ   Thony Mena
HELENA   Adrienne Nelson
COLLINS   Cody Robinson
HAWK   Thomas Rowell
HARDORE   Nate Yaffe

PRODUCTION TEAM

SCENIC DESIGN & PROPERTIES Kathy Couch
SOUND DESIGN   Matthew M. Nielson
LIGHTING DESIGN   Kyle Grant
COSTUME DESIGN   Kelsey Hunt
CHOREOGRAPHY   Kelly & Mollye Maxner
DIRECTION   Mollye Maxner

THE COMPANY