{"id":1418,"date":"2008-06-25T20:51:00","date_gmt":"2008-06-25T20:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebzbproductions.ebzb.org\/interview-war-bonds-with-david-zum-brunnen-and-serena-ebhardt\/"},"modified":"2008-06-25T20:51:00","modified_gmt":"2008-06-25T20:51:00","slug":"interview-war-bonds-with-david-zum-brunnen-and-serena-ebhardt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/2008\/06\/25\/interview-war-bonds-with-david-zum-brunnen-and-serena-ebhardt\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview – War Bonds with David zum Brunnen and Serena Ebhardt"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\nWar Bonds: The Songs & Letters of World War II
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

An interview with Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen <\/span>
\nThis interview may be reprinted freely with acknowledgement to EbzB Productions.<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: What is \u201cWar Bonds: The Songs & Letters of World War II?\u201d
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: It\u2019s fond memories. It\u2019s a sentimental journey, and it\u2019s a reminder of how we
\nas individuals and as a country face incredible challenges and difficulties. As for the type
\nof piece it really is, it\u2019s a cabaret performance arranged out of letters and interviews from
\nactual World War II veterans. The letters are interspersed with popular music from the
\nperiod. It\u2019s a historical and musical journey through a war that redefined the world.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: What was the inspiration for War Bonds: The Songs & Letters of World War II?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: It grew out of several things…
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: David was fortunate to be able to interview his father (before his death in
\n2000) on videotape. A few of those hours that David was able to record include
\nmemories of his father\u2019s World War II experiences and his service in the European
\nTheatre of Operations. One of those memories and a series of letters that David\u2019s father
\nwrote to his parents from Germany were about the liberation of a concentration camp.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: We include one of those letters in the show. And out of that came the
\nrealization that there were so many stories from the war that showed the beauty of the
\nhuman spirit at such a challenging time.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: We felt it was important to bring those stories to light to perhaps inform
\nfuture generations of how war affects relationships \u2013 both personal and political.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: And honor that war\u2019s veterans at the same time\u2014 all veterans, really. Also
\nimportant in creating this is that Serena has always been asked to perform music from
\nthat period. Not to mention that she loves those songs! The music is lyric based and
\nreflects the current events and emotions of the time. For quite some time, Serena\u2019s mom
\nhad been urging her to develop something with all those wonderful tunes\u2014before the
\npeople that remembered them weren\u2019t around to enjoy them anymore. All of this
\ncombined to move us to create the piece. Of course, new & younger audiences enjoy
\nmany of the songs now. There seems to be a bit of resurgence in interest.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: What has the response been to the show?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: It\u2019s been overwhelming! That said, we\u2019ve been humbled by those who want to
\nshare their stories with us after each show.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\nSERENA: The show has taken on a life of its own \u2013 something we never imagined when
\nwe first put together the cabaret. We\u2019ve heard so many individual stories from audience
\nmembers. People who tell us that they remember the events that we talk about \u2013 they
\nknew where they were and who was with them. We\u2019ve had children of veterans ask if
\nthey could submit their parents\u2019 letters for use in the production. One man even asked us
\nto wait at the theatre after a performance so that he could go home and get his war
\nuniform to give to us. He had no heirs and felt we might be able to use the uniform with
\nhonor in our production.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: He brought it up to me and said \u201cI think this just might fit you better than me
\nnow\u201d (David laughs).
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: The wonderful stories we hear from audience members after a performance
\nequal the performance itself. As David said, we\u2019re humbled to be the conduits for such
\nan outpouring of memories, reflection, and acknowledgement. The show is more
\nmeaningful than we ever imagined it would be. We also perform an abridged version of
\nthis show for schools. We have been surprised that the students have drawn parallels to
\nthe Iraq conflict. The questions from young audiences usually astonish us with their
\ndepth and thoughtfulness.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: Only until we began regularly performing this did we realize that this show and
\nall that it\u2019s about is really \u2018bigger\u2019 than us.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: Are you trying to make a political statement with this show?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: No\u2014 And Yes. We specifically chose not to promote any viewpoints or
\nopinions of our own \u2013 or others. The show is not meant to take sides in any current
\nconflict or promote any agenda.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: If there\u2019s any political statement we make, it is that war affects relationships \u2013
\npersonal and political \u2013 no matter what the outcome. In the past, war has been inevitable.
\nWe\u2019ll always hope for a world without war, but it seems to be part of human nature so
\nfar. Perhaps what we\u2019re trying to say is that the beauty of the human spirit always
\nprevails.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: War <\/span>is <\/span>hell, but the human spirit always triumphs.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: What is EbzB Productions?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: We are a professional touring theatre company founded in 1998. Serena is the
\nArtistic Director and I am the Producing Director. We\u2019ve made a specific effort to design
\nour productions for flexible and easy touring to all types of venues.
\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\nThis interview may be reprinted freely with acknowledgement to EbzB Productions.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\nQ: Why did you start EbzB Productions?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: We wanted to use drama to promote integrity, self-discovery, and positive
\ntransformation of individuals and communities.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: We felt that after spending years managing professional companies (both large
\n& small) for other visionaries and working as actors in all types of productions, that it
\nwas important for us to create stories that we felt truly needed to be told on the stage.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: Once we felt we had enough experience and a world-view of our own, we
\nwanted to create a company that could develop and produce work we felt passionate
\nabout. We create many of our own productions, but we also produce work written by
\nothers that we feel meets our mission.
\n<\/span>
\nDAVID: We continue to grow, and now we employ several different associate artists at
\ndifferent times in our production calendar. It\u2019s a busy time.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: We have worked hard, but we have also been blessed. Additionally many of
\nour mentors and peers in the field have contributed to our success. We are grateful.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: What other kinds of shows does EbzB Productions do?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: One of the first shows we produced is our signature piece\u2013 Dr. Elliot Engel\u2019s
\n<\/span>The Night Before Christmas Carol<\/span>. It is a popular holiday piece. David stars as the
\nfamed author Charles Dickens as well as all the other 16 characters he creates in his
\nclassic Christmas story.
\n<\/span>
\nDAVID: I\u2019ve most recently done a piece called <\/span>Via Dolorosa <\/span>\u2013 It is a fascinating, and
\nrather intellectual, tour of the Middle East; quite relevant to the events happening there
\nnow.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: It receives accolades everywhere it is done. The Charlotte Observer called it
\na highlight of a theatre festival in Asheville last year.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: Also, Serena has a cabaret called <\/span>In One Era and Out The Other: A
\nNewsworthy Cabaret. <\/span>It is a time-travel of songs and headlines through the 20<\/span>th <\/span>Century.
\nJulie Florin \u2013 who is the musical director for WAR BONDS \u2013 appears with Serena in that
\none, too. We also have a youth series that includes a show called <\/span>The Wrights of Passage
\n<\/span>about the Wright Brothers in which we actually build an abstract replica of the Wright
\nFlyer on stage \u2013 it\u2019s 21 feet long! Another popular production is <\/span>Brown v. Board of
\nEducation<\/span>. It chronicles the story of integration in the schools over the past 50 years.
\nI\u2019ve seen students and general audiences offering a standing ovation in a lot of different
\nplaces at Serena\u2019s direction of Mike Wiley, who performs in it. He is really amazing to
\nwatch.
\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\nThis interview may be reprinted freely with acknowledgement to EbzB Productions.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\nQ: What is your personal relationship to each other?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: Ah, yes. If you haven\u2019t guessed it, we are married. We met in 1986 at the
\nUniversity of North Carolina. We were married in 1988. We had a son in 2002. He is
\nthe \u201cgreatest achievement since our marriage\u201d \u2013 to quote Bob Cratchit in the <\/span>Night Before
\nChristmas Carol.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: What is it like to work together<\/span>?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: I\u2019m what I consider a relatively smart man…. I know who\u2019s boss. (David
\npoints at Serena). Seriously, I trust Serena\u2019s direction implicitly. There\u2019s a reason she
\nkeeps getting asked to direct over and over again with other professional theatres, too.
\nShe delivers good work.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: Yes, well, David is my good work in progress. (David laughs, Serena
\nlaughs). I think we work together well. It can be tough \u2013 a married couple working
\ntogether. But we have a respect for each other\u2019s abilities that has matured over the years.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: Wow, we have been together for practically 20 years. Did you realize that?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: (laughs) Yes, Dear. (They both laugh). It\u2019s actually wonderful. Yes, it can
\nbe difficult. It\u2019s always a work in progress. We\u2019ve had to learn how to work together.
\nWe have to remember to be professional towards each other and treat each other with the
\nsame respect we would other artists. Sometimes it\u2019s easy to cut to the critical chase
\nbecause we know each other so well. But we share a vision. We have different skill sets
\nand we know what they are and we honor them.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: I couldn\u2019t have said it better. One of the most difficult things working together
\nis that sometimes our son doesn\u2019t get either one of us because we are both on the road.
\nFortunately we have amazing support from our families who make sure he\u2019s cared for
\nwhen have to go on the road together. We all make a good team \u2013 onstage and off.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: What have you done in your individual performance careers?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: Well Serena is a former \u201cchild star\u201d akin to Bette Davis in <\/span>Whatever Happened
\nTo Baby Jane! <\/span>She started performing professionally at the age of six. She was Gretel in
\n<\/span>The Sound of Music<\/span>. Along the way, her work took her to Europe and Off Broadway.
\nShe\u2019s done it all. I got my start a little later \u2013 landing my first professional job while in
\ncollege. We\u2019ve both performed in a variety of places \u2013 New York, Canada, Serena in
\nEurope, the eastern United States \u2013 and with some great people. We are not \u2018stars\u2019. We
\nare not famous. That has never been our goal. We made the decision long ago to base
\nour work out of North Carolina for a variety reasons (Family being a prominent one).
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: One interesting aspect of our careers lately is that we were asked to train with
\nThe John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (in Washington, DC) as Teaching
\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\nThis interview may be reprinted freely with acknowledgement to EbzB Productions.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\nArtists. We\u2019re now being asked to work with students and teachers more often, which is
\nvery rewarding.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: We think it\u2019s crucial to nurture the audience of the future, among other
\nimportant issues that you can address with students through the performing arts.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: Why do you do theatre?
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

DAVID: When I first started performing \u2013 and I\u2019m thinking back when I was a kid, and
\nthen a theatre student \u2013 it was probably to get immediate attention. Over time, it\u2019s
\nbecome more than that. Being involved in the performing arts and doing theatre helped
\ncreate a strong bond between my father and myself that may not have existed otherwise.
\nAdditionally, I would say that I\u2019ve found that by doing theatre, you can discover
\nsolutions to a myriad of things in ways that you\u2019d never expect – and still have a lot of
\nfun and be entertained along the way.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

SERENA: Theatre has been an expression of many things for me over the years. At
\npresent I realize that it is one of the best mediums I have for communicating. It has
\naudio, visual, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, textual and musical aspects. It can
\nreach every audience member regardless of how they process. I understand the Art of
\nTheatre better than any other communication tool. I think it is the most powerful and
\ndynamic way to share the lessons and meaning of Life.
\n<\/span>
\n
<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n### <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
EbzB Productions – Your World Is Our Stage!
\nhttp:\/\/www.ebzb.org<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

War Bonds: The Songs & Letters of World War II An interview with Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen  This interview may be reprinted freely with acknowledgement to EbzB Productions. Q: What is \u201cWar Bonds: The Songs & Letters of World War II?\u201d SERENA: It\u2019s fond memories. It\u2019s a sentimental journey, and it\u2019s a reminder […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,29,31,63,67,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ebzb","category-compliment","category-david-zum-brunnen","category-review","category-serena-ebhardt","category-war-bonds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1418\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebzb.org\/WPress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}