team building

Photo By Capt. Daniel Graves | KIRKUK, Iraq (June 1, 2006) -- Army Sgt. Sherry Anderson, C Company, 426 Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division  

KIRKUK, IRAQ

06.09.2006

Courtesy Story

133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KIRKUK, Iraq (June 1, 2006) " Team building is a cornerstone of any successful Army unit, and one Soldier stationed here at Forward Operating Base Warrior in Kirkuk, Iraq has used her natural leadership and a love of drama to bring Soldiers, Airmen and civilians together on stage.

"It's amazing how people come together, they get into the play, become a family, it builds friendships," said Sgt. Sherry Anderson, an X-ray Specialist with C company, 426 Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team "Bastogne", of the 101st Airborne Division.

So far Anderson has written two plays during her time at FOB Warrior, and is working on a third. Both completed plays have been produced and performed and the third is scheduled for a July performance.

The first play, "Though I'm Not Worthy, God Still Loves Me", was performed in January and the second play, "It's Time to Wake Up", was produced and performed as part of the African-American History Month celebration.

Anderson gets involved in every aspect of the production, from writing the script, to production, directing, acting, casting, and even developing the musical score.

"I get totally involved, directing and doing everything, I love doing this, and it is a dream," said Anderson, a Laurens, South Carolina native.

Anderson said that while she is writing the script, she has a certain person in mind that she knows would play the character well, but sometimes needs to direct the actors" performance and motivate them for the character to come alive.

"One Soldier played a part that was out of character for him, but I worked with him and even acted out another part for him to see that he could do it," related Anderson.

Prior to this deployment Anderson had acted in several church dramas, and while stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Maryland, she had a role in a command information video produced to demonstrate new force protection measures put in place following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

"I played a difficult visitor and everyone told me that I was a natural, just like they did with my church roles," said Anderson.
Though she had never written a play prior to this deployment, Anderson has written and published a book, Temptations of a Single Woman (AuthorHouse, 2003).

"Being here has given me the opportunity to do something I've always dreamed of doing."

• Date Taken: 06.09.2006
• Date Posted: 06.09.2006 11:33
• Story ID: 6748
• Location: KIRKUK, IQ