As Karla Leyva finally broke out of denial from her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder issues after serving four years in the U.S. military, she concurrently broke into tears.
As part of the workshop after the play, “Into the Fire,” Leyva, a Cerritos College alumnus, shared her recent plight with the audience.
“For years now, I’ve been avoiding talking about my issues from PTSD. Things have been tough since I recently started my healing process,” she said.
“Into the Fire,” presented in the Teleconference Center on March 16, is a play exploring the stories and subsequent tribulations that returning veterans with disabilities and combat-related trauma go through.
Anthony Curry and Carrie Gibson of Had to Be Productions wrote and performed the play, which they’ve showcased in various regions, including inside the Pentagon.
Gibson said on their process, “We interview the people on the topic, and then we write down exactly what they say in the way that they say it.
“Then we take their words and arrange them in a way that we hope is going to tell a larger story to pull you in, but also really honor their individual stories.”
The production has been known to trigger emotional reactions from audiences.
“It can tend to get pretty emotional for some people, whether or not they’re veterans,” Gibson said.
Curry said, “We hope to show people that we’re all connected, we all have a part to play— that bringing someone home is all of our jobs, that any stigma for getting help is gone.”
Numerous veterans such as Leyva cried and spoke about their troubles during the open discussion subsequent to the play.
Sonia Ward, pharmacy major, said, “My husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan and I have noticed a change in [our email conversations].
“I wanted to know how to comfort him when he gets home.”
Veteran and ASCC President Felipe Grimaldo said, “There are times that I am vulnerable and I need the help. Usually, the only way that I can approach this is by continuing my services and giving back.”
Many veterans attending shared similar sentiments concerning Gibson and Curry’s work.
Graphic arts major Martin Miranda, who served for 32 years, said, “I’m happy that [they’re] showing this to people that are not in the military because they don’t know what we feel.”
Chris Markowski, history major and veteran, said, “It brought to light the many issues that veterans go through when returning home that civilians don’t understand.”
Stephen Johnson, vice president of Student Services, stressed the potential of the Veteran Resource Center available to students dealing with these types of problems.
“What we have been looking at as part of our total mission for the Veterans Resource Center is that it be a resource to the entire college campus,” he said.
The Veterans Resource Center’s hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays, and it’s located in TE 8 in the Technology Building.
