Press release:
Feb 10, 2016
War is a Racket 2016:
Maj. General Smedley Butler USMC (ret.)
By Namaya
Asheville Friends Meeting
24 March Thursday – 7 P.M. to 9 P.M.
227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC 28804
The performance of War is a Racket 2016 is a one person show, based on General Butler’s book “War is a Racket,” by the performance poet/ artist Namaya and U.S. Navy Veteran. The show will be presented at the Asheville Friends (Quaker) Meeting 24 March Thursday at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (one hour performance with a Q&A to follow). Suggested donation of $10 info@b4peace.net. The program is presented in cooperation with Veterans for Peace.
Major General Smedley Butler was the most decorated marine at the time of his death in 1940. A Quaker who fought in the Spanish-American, Philippine-American and Caribbean Wars as well as WWI, he volunteered for the Spanish American war at the age of sixteen and his experience in the military led him to become a vocal critic or militarism and profiteering. “WAR IS A RACKET 2016” is based on Major General Butler’s 1935 expose War is a Racket:
“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”
The multimedia performance of War is a Racket covers socio-cultural and economics issues drawing parallels to the bonus army of post WWI to issues facing returning soldiers today. General Butler warned of the military industrial complex and now with the U.S. Military budget in excess of $1 trillion dollars, it is vital for all Americans to hear the words of the general. This is a joint production of Namaya Productions and B4 Peace, a project which promotes art, word, performance and community engagement that celebrates the inevitability of peace. This performance is part of the multiyear multimedia projects around the world called “Pornography of War” that explores through art and performance the impact of war and militarism in society.
In describing this play, Namaya says: “I have taken the writings of Butler, the cross of Iron Speech by Eisenhower, George Washington’s warnings of “Foreign Entanglement”, poems of Wilfred Owens and other WWI poets, the writings of the first founders of USA and their reflection on the price of democracy. This performance is for ALL Americans: Democrat, Republican, conservative or otherwise. Fundamentally, in this multimedia performance we asked, ‘What is the role of the military in a democratic society?’
Following the performance there is a discussion and the audience can ask questions of the Major General Smedley Butler. Join us for a thought provoking evening. Conservative, liberal… all are welcome.
Boston Reviews:
“Namaya’s performance is a vivid portrayal of General Butler and through stories, dramatization, and multimedia he is able to bring this vital story alive.” Brandeis University
“Excellent show… the audience was riveted by it.” Boston Veterans for Peace
“The performance was powerful and well spoken. Thank you for coming to New Orleans.” Unitarian Church.
Namaya Bio: Namaya is an internationally known performance artist and poet who has performed in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and throughout the USA. He is a storyteller, playwright and actor who appeared in his play “Beatnik Café: A Musical Revue of the Jazz Beat Generation” and in “Memoria. Hablar. Dignidad.” In Santiago, Chile a tribute to Chilean peace and social justice leaders. He is a Vietnam era veteran, a Quaker, and peace activist, and a member of Vt. Vets for Peace. Namaya said, “I am committed to engaging communities in conversations about peace, & social justice, through art and performance. “War is not the answer to resolving conflicts. War is a Racket.” www.namayaproductions.com
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