On the 4th anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq, a reading of Simon Levy's play, "What I Heard About Iraq," took place in Portland. This production was small - put together with just 10 days of lead time, it was attended by about 100 people. But it was part of larger effort - theatre companies and citizens in more than 45 cities around the world staged the play on that day, as an invitation to examine stories about and realities of the war in Iraq.

This collection of quotes, personal experiences, sound bites and emotions - collected from news, official reports, government press conferences and interviews with people affected by the war in Iraq - tells the human story behind the war. Without promoting a specific interpretation, it inspires introspection and examination of the facts.

The Portland reading inspired a small group of theatre professionals and citizens to stage the play for a wider audience in Portland on June 8th, 2007.

As with the March, 2007 reading, the June production is part of something bigger. Ticket sales and donations from the June 8th show will fund our grassroots effort to take the production to high schools this fall. Today's high school students are tomorrow's voters, citizens and leaders - this is an opportunity for them to join in the civic conversation about the war in Iraq, and what it means for citizens the world around.

Please come to join in the conversation - and support our fall shows!