[Capdist-announce] Neil Brookshire Shares A Combat Medic’s Tale in “Bent Compass”

[Steven Patterson]

Colin and I met while working for the Idaho Shakespeare Festival in 2004,
the summer before Colin joined the Army. I remember him bringing in samples
of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), and discussing his plans to become an Army
Medic.

We stayed in touch throughout Colin’s various deployments, but it wasn’t
until 2013 that an idea to collaborate entered our minds. At the time, I
was fleshing out the background of Claudio in Shakespeare’s "Much Ado About
Nothing". This was a character who, at the start of the play, was returning
directly from combat. What challenges did this character face in his
reacquaintance with civilian life? I thought, who better to talk to than
Colin? He was incredibly generous and forthcoming with information and
insight. Hearing his stories and perspective helped me anchor my
performance, and it inspired me to continue exploring his story, his
journey. And the more we talked, the more we wanted to explore creating a
project based solely on his experiences.

We set about recording weekly phone conversations in an informal interview
format. Once the initial recordings were made, written transcriptions and
editing began. One of the challenges was to articulate what was at the core
of Colin’s experiences and perspectives in a clear way. We had a tremendous
amount of raw material, but what cohesively linked everything together? And
what was our format?

Around that time I had also been listening to radio interviews of WWI
survivors on a BBC podcast. They were recorded when many of them were in
their eighties, but the raw, candid storytelling nature of the recordings
aligned with our goal, keep it simple. Colin had said from the beginning he
wanted it to be as honest as possible, to get at what it’s really like.

The result is a living document that we continue to tweak. The stories
cover Colin’s journey from fresh recruit to seasoned combat veteran. It
explores how war shaped his thinking and perspective on the world, and how
his life has changed since. The text is almost entirely from transcripts,
sprinkled with quotes from other writers, among them, Shakespeare. After
all, that’s how we met. This unique collaboration uses the best of what we
have to offer: our combined skills and experience. He lived it, we wrote
it, I perform it. As we continue to present Bent Compass to live audiences,
we find it resonates with both civilians and veterans in different but
rewarding ways.

“Bent Compass” will be presented for three performances only – Friday March
7 and Saturday March 8 at 7:30pm, and Sunday March 9 at 2:00pm – on Bridge
Street Theatre’s intimate “Priscilla” Mainstage, located at 44 West Bridge
Street in Catskill, NY, as part of BST's SoloFest 2025. For more details
and ticketing information, visit bridgest.org/solofest-2025-one/.


Bridge Street Theatre presents
SoloFest 2025 Show #1

*BENT COMPASS *Written by Neil Brookshire and Colin Sesek
Performed by Neil Brookshire
Originally directed by Phil Darius Wallace
Three Performances Only!
Friday March 7 and Saturday March 8 at 7:30pm
Sunday March 9 at 2:00pm
Bridge Street Theatre’s “Priscilla” Mainstage
44 West Bridge Street, Catskill, NY


* Tickets: *Online in advance: $27
At the door: $29
Ages 18 and under: $15
Four-Show SoloFest Pass: $90
2025 Season Super Value Pass: $200
https://bridgest.org/solofest-2025/


*Bios: *
*Neil Brookshire *is an actor, writer, and visual artist. He earned a BA
from Boise State University and an MFA in Acting from Northern Illinois
University. He has worked extensively in regional theater and independent
film. He lives in northern Wisconsin, where he is also a licensed Emergency
Medical Technician.

* Colin Sesek *is an educator and Special Forces Army Medic. He has
deployed to multiple locations in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. He
currently teaches Emergency Medicine to high school students, volunteers
for Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, and continues to serve in the
National Guard. He lives in Boise.


*Events at Bridge Street Theatre are supported in part by the New York
State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor of New York and
the New York State Legislature and by Public Funds from the Greene County
Legislature administered by CREATE Council on the Arts. Bridge Street
Theatre’s entire 2025 Season is dedicated to the memory of Mary E.
Barrett. *
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