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Tom Skerritt and the Red Badge Project

Press Release: Actor and Film Festival to benefit veterans June 30-July 2

June 22, 2017 – Two events next weekend at Gesa Power House Theatre will raise awareness and money for The Red Badge Project – a nonprofit organization that teaches veterans how to tell their own stories. “Tom Skerritt and the Red Badge Project” will take place on Friday, June 30 and the “Walla Walla Movie Crush” film festival will take place on July 1 and 2.

On Friday, actor Tom Skerritt (Top Gun, Alien, Steel Magnolias) and retired Army Captain Evan Bailey – co-founders of The Red Badge Project – along with two founding faculty members, Shawn Wong and Warren Etheredge, will introduce the audience to a handful of veterans who will share their stories on stage. Then they will share some of the exercises used to develop those stories.

“Tom Skerritt and the Red Badge Project” is supported by the City of Walla Walla, Friends of the Walla Walla Public Library, and the Exchange Club of Walla Walla. The Walla Walla Public Library is the only library in the nation chosen to participate in the Red Badge Project.

Etheredge – who will emcee Friday’s event – is a renowned short film expert and the co-founder and curator of the first annual Walla Walla Movie Crush that will take place on July 1 and 2, also at the Power House.

Spanning two days, the festival will feature 88 short films, including 11 world premieres, dozens of award-winners, and at least one Oscar® nominee. Packaged in hour-long programs with time for conversations about the content with visiting filmmakers, the films range in length from one to 30 minutes, and cover a diverse range of topics, from veterans’ issues to sports to romance.

Proceeds from the entire weekend will go to support the Red Badge Project. Tickets to “Tom Skerritt and the Red Badge Project” ($25) are available at www.phtww.org or by calling the Gesa Power House Theatre box office at 509-529-6500. A full schedule and tickets ($10-$25) for the “Walla Walla Movie Crush” are available at www.wallawallamoviecrush.com.

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About The Red Badge Project

For more than five years, The Red Badge Project has been helping veterans express themselves in order to conquer their demons. For more information, go to theredbadgeproject.org or call Walla Walla Public Library Director Beth Hudson at 509-524-4433.

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