'The American Soldier' Play Examining Struggles Of PTSD-Ridden Vets Coming To East Austin

EAST AUSTIN, TX — Just in time for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center has scheduled three free performances of "The American Soldier," a play about military members challenges in re-entering civilian life.

The one-man show explores the bravery of those at war but also the struggle veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their families face in newly achieved civilian life following deployments. The play has been nominated for an Amnesty International Award and was given four stars out of five at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The play also received a positive review from the Huffington Post.

The play was previously staged at the Kennedy Center in January, in upstate New York at Theater on the Road this November and the Washington Performing Arts Center and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation earlier this year.

Locally, three performances at the Mexican American Cultural Center will be staged: May 25 and May 26 (Thursday and Friday) at 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 27, at 7 p.m. at the Black Box Theater. Admission is free, but early arrival is encouraged as seating is limited. The MACC is located at 600 River St.

>>> Photo of Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center via City of Austin