Word for Word to Present Siobhan Fallon's THE LAST STAND and GOLD STAR at Z SPACE, 2/2-24

WORD FOR WORD, presents You Know When the Men Are Gone: two short stories "The Last Stand" and "Gold Star" a world premiere production of stories by Siobhan Fallon from her debut book which opens with a press night on Saturday, February 2 at 8 PM at Z SPACE, 450 Florida Street in San Francisco and runs February 2-24.

Siobhan Fallon's stunning collection of interconnected stories was described by the LA Times as a "lovely and wrenching first book... gripping... compelling... extraordinary circumstances," You Know When the Men Are Gone, provides an intimate look at life on an American military base through the eyes of the families of American soldiers deployed to Iraq.

On Thursday February 7 a post-show talk will feature military veteran Norberto Lara with the organization Wounded Warrior Project who will speak regarding his US Army experience, injury, recovery and reentry into civilian family life.

Saturday February 16, at 8pm Word for Word presents "An Evening with Siobhan Fallon " with a performance of the company's "The Last Stand" and "Gold Star", followed by an onstage conversation and reception with Siobhan Fallon.

The stories "The Last Stand" and "Gold Star" show another side of war - how those left behind must carry on in their daily lives in hope and fear, as well as what it's like for the wounded soldiers "returning to normal." The author has a first-hand knowledge of the military: Siobhan Fallon is the wife of an active duty U.S Army officer who has served multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WORD FOR WORD'S production of "The Last Stand," directed by Joel Mullennix and "Gold Star," directed by Amy Kossow features actors Arwen Anderson*, Roselyn Hallett, Armando McClain, Marilet Martinez, Chad Deverman* and Ryan Tasker* (*member AEA). The production design team includes Drew Yerys (Lighting and Sound), Andrea Weber (Choreography), Delia MacDougall (Costumes and Props) and Jacquelyn Scott (Set Design) .

Word for Word's You Know When the Men Are Gone: two short stories "The Last Stand" and "Gold Star"- February 2 - 24 (Previews Jan 31, Feb 1) At: Z SPACE, 450 Florida Street, San Francisco. Performances; Wednesday-Thursday 7 pm, Friday-Saturday 8 pm, and Sunday 3 pm

Tickets: Wednesday - Thursday $30; Friday - Sunday $40; Feb 16 author night $55, with a $5 student/senior discount & $20 previews. (Previews Jan 31 & Feb. 1). Tickets at www.zspace.org.

You Know When the Men Are Gone: two short stories "The Last Stand" and "Gold Star" offers a rare glimpse of the unique challenges faced by soldiers and military families. Veterans are returning to the United States in increasing numbers, and they and their families are marked by the experience. We hope that in producing these stories we give our audience a glimpse of a world unknown to many of us and thus expand and challenge our ideas around these subjects, sparking thought and conversation. In San Francisco, where most military bases have been closed, this play and provides a way to examine the struggles faced by veterans, and their relationships with their families and the non-veteran community, illuminating The Commonalities we all share. The author has a first-hand knowledge of the military: Siobhan Fallon is the wife of a military officer, and artist Drew Cameron served in the US Army, including a tour of duty in Iraq.

"While there are a lot of books about soldiers' experiences on the battlefields, there are few about the home front. For every soldier deployed, there is a family waiting for his return, and those stories, those battles, those small and fragile moments, are extraordinary to me." - Siohban Fallon

Siobhan Fallon (author) is the author of You Know When the Men Are Gone, which was listed as a Best Book of 2011 by The San Francisco Chronicle, Self Magazine, Los Angeles Public Library, Janet Maslin of The New York Times, and won a 2012 Indies Choice Honor Award, the Texas Institute of Letters Award for First Fiction, and the 2012 Pen Center USA Literary Award in Fiction. Her collection of stories about the families of Fort Hood, Texas, during an Army brigade's deployment to Iraq, has been called "the explosive sort of literary triumph that appears only every few years" by New York Journal of Books, "a terrific and terrifically illuminating book" by The Washington Post, a "searing collection" by Entertainment Weekly, and "fascinating" by O, The Oprah Magazine. Theatrical productions of her stories include performances by Word for Word in San Francisco and Stories on Stage in Denver. More of Siobhan's work has appeared in Women's Day, Good Housekeeping, Military Spouse Magazine, New Letters, Publishers' Weekly, Huffington Post, and NPR's The Morning Edition. Siobhan has an MFA from the New School in NYC.