By Colton Walter
Photo Editor
Pacific Lutheran University will host the travelling “docu-musical” Witness Uganda coming March 6th. This Wang Center sponsored Docu-musical acts as the 4th Biennial Ambassador Chris Stevens Memorial Event and offers mixed perspectives on volunteering.
The critically acclaimed musical theater production, written and composed by former Peace Corps volunteer Matt Gould and actor and Uganda Project co-founder Griffin Matthews, differs from the event’s traditional lecture format. Instead the show explores the challenges and pitfalls of doing humanitarian work. The event is said to invite the audience to reflect critically on service, leadership and care in both global and local contexts.
Both Gould and Matthews will be performing excerpts of their award-winning work. Afterwards the pair will open up a dialogue with students to talk about their experiences, both positive and negative. Working for their grassroots organization that provides free education, housing, mentoring, and basic needs to a small group of Ugandan students living in Kampala, Gould and Matthews aim to empower, ignite, and impact global change.
Noting the second year of PLU’s Peace Corps Prep Program, there will be a panel presentation held by PLU and Peace Corps alumni on the topic of “Critical Perspectives on Volunteering.” Panel guests include Lucas Gillespie ’16, Jihan Grettenberg ’12 and Colton Heath ’14 and Director of PLU Health Center Elizabeth Barton. This will be held in the Scandinavian Cultural Center at 3:40-5:00 p.m. before Witness Uganda.
Witness Uganda: A Docu-musical on the Complexities of Caring comes to PLU on Wednesday, March 6th. The event will be held in the University Center’s Chris Knutzen Hall. Admission is free and registration is encouraged. Live Streaming will be available for those unable to attend in person.
