In June, the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (SCLA) is returning to the Japanese Garden on the West LA VA campus for a production of Henry IV. The program beginning June 5 marks a return to the campus after a four-year hiatus. But before Tom Hanks takes the stage as Sir John Falstaff, dozens of military veterans are training behind-the-scenes with technical theater experts to bring the show to life.
On Friday, a team of veterans was assembling metal scaffolding for stadium seating in the outdoor theater, preparing for 600 audience members to gather in this wooded area of the VA grounds. They’d already poured work into the garden itself, which needed some TLC after a few years of neglect.
“This place was overgrown, there was trash, it was a wreck,” said Marine Corps veteran Darrell Morrison. “We’ve done landscaping, laid a brick walkway, cleaned out the pond, built picnic tables, repainted the bridges, put up the truss system and the stage. Today we’re focused on seating.”
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