A Conversation with Playwright/Director Melvin Ismael Johnson, “Soldier to Soldier”, The Blue Door, by James Scarborough

“Soldier to Soldier” confronts the paradox of veteran homelessness with unflinching directness. Johnson’s work, emerging from his experience as a Marine and his engagement with Skid Row veterans, transforms personal narrative into political statement. The play’s structural focus on five central characters - Bobby, Karen, Eleanor, Jimmy, and Carlos. Each serve as a microcosm of the larger veteran community. Their interconnected stories reveal the systemic failures in veteran support systems. Johnson leverages the authenticity of a mixed veteran-civilian cast to create a documentary-like immediacy that challenges our complacency. The production’s staging at The Blue Door amplifies its message about accessibility and community engagement. Johnson’s work proposes concrete solutions in its examination of military budget allocation and the potential for veteran-led initiatives. The play’s emphasis on the Westwood-Brentwood VA Property controversy grounds its broader themes in specific local context, making the abstract crisis of veteran homelessness tangibly immediate.

Melvin Ismael Johnson’s “Soldier to Soldier” emerges as both artistic endeavor and social catalyst, examining the intersection of military service, civilian life, and systemic inequity. The production, featuring both veteran and civilian performers, creates a unique dialogue about veteran homelessness and community responsibility.

Below follows an email conversation with the Playwright/Director:

JS: Your decision to cast both veterans and civilians creates an interesting dynamic. How does this casting choice reflect the play’s themes of military-civilian relationships?

MIJ: The dual aspect of “To protect and to serve” in terms of protecting our country through our military service and serving our country through experience and maturity learned in the military when we return back to the community.

JS: The play centers on the Westwood-Brentwood VA Property controversy. How does this specific location serve as a metaphor for broader systemic issues affecting veterans?

MIJ: This Westwood-Brentwood VA 388 acres property was gifted to the nation in 1888 on one condition: “that a home for disabled soldiers “be thereon so located, established, constructed and permanently maintained.” Instead, it was used for profit making and non-veteran private entities. This historic property could become the CenterPoint of a “Think Tank” where military veterans and community organizations and other stake holders can come together and develop a national plan to deal with the homeless problem.

JS: As both playwright and director, how do you balance the documentary aspects of the piece with theatrical necessity?

MIJ: I try to deal with historical information in an entertaining way! Keeping in mind that the message is more important than the entertainment.

JS: Discuss your experience developing the five central characters. How do their individual narratives illuminate different aspects of the veteran experience?

MIJ: I wanted to deal with the various reasons that one might want to join the military regardless of gender. It could be economic, seeking adventure or just the call to duty and the need to serve your country.

JS: How has your work training homeless veterans as stage managers informed the play’s perspective on rehabilitation and community integration?

MIJ: Stage Managers are one of the most important jobs in the world of theater and the training ground for other careers in the theater like directing, writing, lighting and in many cases a therapeutic connection back to the community.

JS: The play suggests veterans could be instrumental in redirecting military budget allocation. Elaborate on this solution-oriented aspect of the work.

MIJ: Over half of the US yearly budget goes to the military leaving the other half to deal with the many other economic problems that the nation faces. Military veterans are the only sector that can penetrate the military budget and redirect funds to the projects created by the military veterans – community collaboration. Military veterans exist in every state and the majority of families. In the “Hi-tech and AI world we live in, it is important to begin to shift technology in a positive non-warfare direction.

JS: What influenced your decisions regarding the play’s staging and set design at The Blue Door?

MIJ: I use the “Black Box” aspect of staging with minimum set pieces to shift the focus to the characters and how they interact with each other within the overall arch (Theme) of the script.

JS: How does the production incorporate the experiences of female veterans through the characters of Karen and Eleanor?

MIJ: I wanted to shift the focus away from gender and more toward character relationships and the common challenges that all soldiers face regardless of gender.

JS: Discuss the role of community partnerships in the play’s narrative and its production process?

MIJ: Theater is a collaborative art form where all of the sectors of the collaborative must work together in a spirit of harmony to bring their creation into existence. The audience (Community) is part of that process.

JS: The play addresses serious social issues while maintaining dramatic engagement. How do you achieve this balance in your direction?

MIJ: You must be lucky enough to have a good producer, good dramaturge, good stage manager and other staff members. And most important of all a dedicated and talented cast.

Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM, November 15 through November 24. Tickets are $20 for general admission, with discounts available for veterans, seniors, and students with ID at the box office. The Blue Door is located at 9617 Venice Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232. For more information, click here.