Norwegian-American Veterans Theatre Project host a special event Thursday, January 22, at 7 PM, at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard.

We will be presenting a staged reading of a play that Dr. Bruce Olav Solheim (Ph.D.) wrote called The Epiphany.

The play is set in Northern Norway during the Nazi occupation. It is based on Solheim’s own family history. The play deals with how ordinary people are forced to make decisions in wartime, and how war impacts their lives. In this case, each member Solheim’s family needed to decide whether to cooperate with the Nazis in order to live; join the Resistance and fight for freedom; or just merely survive in any way that they could.

The Epiphany's main character is a young woman who is part-Sami. The play features professional actors from Seattle including a recently returned combat veteran. We will also have a Norwegian combat veteran flying in from Norway to join our cast in addition to a Norwegian documentary filmmaker who will chronicle the entire experience for a film to be released next year in Norway for the 75th anniversary of the Nazi invasion. Solheim is also a veteran. All of his plays feature veterans because he has found that getting combat veterans involved in theatrical productions helps them transition back to civilian life and help others understand the nature of war.

You can find out more at Solheim’s website listed below. At 6 PM, before the performance, a reception featuring delicious Norwegian food will be held. The reception will honor veterans and a 100-year-old man who helped the Norwegian Resistance fight against the Nazis.

Visit www.bruceolavsolheim.com for more information.