This was a very interesting program as it teaches you a little about ancient Greek history and how it can be related to Iraq and Afghanistan. You also get the opportunity to work with some professional actors which was a very unique experience. A minor suggestion would be to maybe mix the groups of actors and writers rather than just keep a group of writers. Prior to engaging in this course I heard about Theaters of War and it would be nice for some collaboration of both organizations which I think would be a major event. It would be nice to see this show be taken to Broadway as popularity increases it was a really enjoyable experience. The things [name redacted] is doing for veterans is very admirable and this workshop is a great way for veterans to stay positive and involved in their community. As a fellow veteran from his home country it is clear that he cares about the well being of veterans in general. I am looking forward to doing another workshop in the future. I want to personally thank [name redacted] from NYU for recommending this great workshop to me. I am so glad I got to meet him at the Veteran's Writing Workshop and I urge veterans to try and take advantage of these opportunities.

At first, I was afraid to learn classical text and that we were writing our own play too. As the weeks went by, I got to learn so much from the texts thru the group discussions and the MET tour. The warm ups were great to look forward to because I got to meet the other participants in the workshop. And I enjoyed working with my group. It was a blast. And I hope that it continues. I would love to see a full production of each group’s play. It would be amazing to see it. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

The books, plays and resources provided were top-notch. The program might have worked a little better if it were a two-week intensive rather than stretched out over a series of weeks. The other participants were amazing!

I really learnt a lot through my time spent with this group of people and admired their dedication and willingness to jump into things. I was impressed by the imaginative work created in performance too. My only note would be that in the future we spend more time creating and developing the piece as an ensemble.

I enjoy this program very much. This time around it gave us opportunity to write about how the Greek works relate to our military experiences without holding back our creative freedoms. I would love to see this program continue with the opportunity to create a whole production, by veterans and their family members.

I wanted to loosen up and to work on my social reflexes, maybe gain some speaking and group skills. I got more than I bargained for. The group of people I met we're amazing and fun and total amateurs like I was. We grew together and we learned together. But, we also received instruction from people at the top of their writing, acting, directing and Greek Classics game...if I dropped their names in any circle in their field, people notice. Lucky for them, this guy isn't a name dropper. Thank you for the great time and the growth. I already miss the class.

This has been a beautiful experience and I’m so honored to have been brought in by [Veteran name redacted]. The process of discussing the play itself, it’s imagery and understanding of violence and war, as well as our relationship to women as mothers and warriors, has been some of the most enriching experience I’ve had with an ensemble.

This is a great program. I've met countless talented and friendly people. The warm ups don't only get us ready for performance, but also opens us up to new ways at approaching our performance. I'd never heard about this until I was asked to participate in a script reading. I have to say it's the best decision I've made in a long time.

This has been such an enriching opportunity. I have learned so much about the ancient Greek's warrior, theater and political culture. I've enjoyed spending time with fellow veterans and learning about everyone's varying experiences. I've also enjoyed the theater warm-ups at the studio. I look forward to performing the pieces we've created for this workshop. This is amazing, I would definitely do it again if I could!

[name redacted] from New York University Veterans Writing Program, the captain of my group, shared information about the Warrior Chorus Aquila Theater and I am glad that I joined. I was able to reconnect with some veterans I have already known and also got to meet many new veterans and professionals. I had never thought I would be interested in learning about Ancient Greek battles and the way it can be related to current wartime issues, but it was a great experience. It was a pleasure to meet [name redacted] and be a part of the great work that he does.

You'd think it was a post graduate experience and so well organized too!

It is sometimes hard to find structure during these weekly meetings, and sometimes hard to make your voice heard in a group of ten other vets also speaking their experiences and opinions about the texts. You are encouraged to write a response to the text, but I've always felt at a loss at precisely what needs to be said, and tried to fill in with what I know needs to be said about my experience as a female vet. But often these are two completely different tracks, and my experience gets pushed aside for the dominant male story.

Lifechanging. The team at Aquila thoughtfully create spaces to listen to veterans and elevate our voices and artistic expressions. I have made lasting friendships in these workshops and become more confident in my writing, speaking, and performances. This is the real deal.