Echoes of Service: Veterans Share Stories Through Performance at ASU’s Empty Space

The Hugh Downs School of Human Communication recently launched its inaugural Echoes of Service: Veterans Storytelling Initiative, a new program that empowers veterans to share their stories through performance and dialogue.  The initiative debuted with a powerful evening of storytelling on April 2, 2025 at The Empty Space—a performance venue in the ASU Performing and Media Arts building on the northeast corner of University and Rural.

Organized and led by Dr. Andrea Gunoe, Artistic Director of The Empty Space and Instructor of Performance Studies at the Hugh Downs School, with support from Production Assistant Paige Palten, Echoes of Service builds community through storytelling—welcoming veterans, active-duty personnel, and National Guard members to connect through shared narratives. “We believe in the power of performance to build community,” said Dr. Gunoe, who dedicated the program to her late father, Army veteran Sgt. First Class Allen Gunoe. Through this initiative, she hopes to help veterans remember, express their individuality, and connect with others who understand their journey—and their humor.

The March 26 workshop offered veterans a supportive space to collaborate with facilitators—professionals in writing, education, and performance who have strong military ties. Together, they helped veterans craft and develop their stories into performance pieces. The April 2 event, styled like an open mic night, allowed participants to share their narratives with an intimate audience, sparking a mood of connection and reflection. Supported by the Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement, the program required no prior experience—only a military background.

The workshops featured a distinguished panel, including Joanna Sweatt, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and National Organizing Director for Common Defense, who emphasized the role of storytelling in advocacy. “It allows veterans to reclaim their narratives,” Sweatt said. Michelle Loposky, Director of Development for ASU’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center and a former Army combat medic, highlighted the event’s impact: “These workshops create a space for veterans to connect.” Kerry Pardue, a Vietnam War combat medic turned poet, shared how poetry became a tool for healing. Dr. Kermit Brown, Campus and Community Engagement Manager at ASU’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and a Gulf War Marine Corps veteran, encouraged participants to use their stories as a force for social justice.

Echoes of Service reflects the Hugh Downs School’s mission to harness the power of human communication for connection, understanding, and social good.