Back Forward Back. // Photo by Cynthia Levin/Unicorn Theater
A few years ago, I co-authored a book about the tenuous relationship between video games and violence. The basic consistency has been that ever since school shootings have occurred, some politicians have blamed video game violence as the cause. This is because video games and heavy metal music are often criticized for tackling mental health issues. Health or guns? A tough battle in America. 
One of the most fascinating experts I spoke to about data/research in this area was an Australian ethicist. Although he didn't believe in a direct causal link from digital violence to real-world violence, he did have one major hesitation. If there is no connection between video games and violence, why does the US military spend so much money on them? video game? From the title of our own production, call of duty Franchise, our military sees a lot of potential something These range from encouraging enlistment to changing public perceptions to on-the-job training (to an unknown degree).
Veterans of foreign wars return to the United States and find themselves without years of backed-up veteran support, and veteran suicide rates are more than twice that of the general population. Given the current situation, it is only natural that an army would be launched. Using the influence of gaming media to address trauma and PTSD. But like everything else about the military, most of the money is invested in getting people into military service, not helping everyone readjust to normal life on the way home. Can low-budget alternatives to conventional treatments save lives?
that's a new game Backward Forward return (Performed at Unicorn Theater until April 7, 2024) We would like to consider it.
Back Forward Back. // Photo by Cynthia Levin/Unicorn Theater
When a soldier returns from Afghanistan with the specter of an expedition, he is faced with an overwhelming change in reality. Grocery stores, family events, fireworks, and the casual ebbs and flows of life only serve as a backdrop for a constant rush of uncontrollable trauma reactions, including panic attacks and hallucinations. The soldiers' attempts to suppress the horrors of combat culminate in a moment of horrific violence, with a young family becoming the accidental victims. Now facing the threat of no help or being permanently deported by his family, the soldier is reluctantly receiving treatment through the Veterans Administration. Overworked doctors and therapists don't have time to invest in real support, so soldiers end up undergoing forced VR-driven rehabilitation programs.
For 70 minutes, actress Chioma Anyanwu absolutely stole the stage. Directed by Logan Black and written by Jacqueline Goldfinger, Anyangwu infuses her performance with every shade of despair, fear, pain, vulnerability, and hope, setting a new high for shows like this in KC. Set hurdles. The ferocity on display is manifested in the physical embodiment of unwavering strength in the midst of complete personal disintegration. Anyanwu never blinks, takes little time to breathe, and takes two sips of water to make a political point. It doesn't seem reasonable that a single performer could do this in a live, real-time environment. By the end of this intensely dynamic piece, I was so exhausted I could barely applaud. The way Anyanwu manages to do this every day for almost a month makes him seem like someone who doesn't want to back down from an unreasonable challenge.
All production elements, from the stage design to the VR sequences projected behind the performance, create a seamless experience that is a relentless assault on the senses. This is one veteran's frustrating struggle to simply return to the world he fought to protect. The idea that these dehumanizing digital tactics may be the best hope for survival for millions of Americans is drawn with careful and thoughtful consideration, but the implied economic costs tip the scales in an undeniable direction.
Back Forward Back will run at Jerome Stage's Unicorn Theater until April 7, 2024 at the Unicorn Theater. Tickets are available here.
Back Forward Back. // Photo by Cynthia Levin/Unicorn Theater
