WEBVTT - Actor Adam Driver on Bringing Theater to the Military (Audio)

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<v Speaker 1>five point one point four. And that's a Bloomberg business flash,

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<v Speaker 1>your son, he's gone snowkis using you for your power.

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<v Speaker 1>When he guess what he wants, he'll crush you. You

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<v Speaker 1>know it's true. Kylo Wren Star Wars, episode seven, The

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<v Speaker 1>Force Awakens. Do you recognize that voice? Maybe you heard

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<v Speaker 1>him playing Adam Sackler on the HBO hit Girls Adam Driver.

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<v Speaker 1>It is also marine, I learned years ago. You never

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<v Speaker 1>say it was a marine. Wants a marine, always a marine.

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<v Speaker 1>He left the Marines after an accident. He went to Juilliard.

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<v Speaker 1>He stumbled quite nicely into a mega career now as

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<v Speaker 1>a movie and television star, and he's joining us now.

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<v Speaker 1>We want to talk a bit about his career, but

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<v Speaker 1>we mostly want to talk about his new foundation, Arts

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<v Speaker 1>in the Armed Forces, which is taking the best modern

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<v Speaker 1>American theater to the military free of charge. And he's

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<v Speaker 1>getting ready for a big tour in South Korea. Adam,

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<v Speaker 1>are welcome. It's great to have it on the show.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much for having me. Well, you know

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<v Speaker 1>I knew your story. I recently just coincidentally, my daughter

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<v Speaker 1>I washed over shoulder as she listened to one of

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<v Speaker 1>your ted talks where you talked about that so in

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<v Speaker 1>a nutshell where people who don't know your story from

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<v Speaker 1>a kid in the Midwest who wasn't sure what they

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to do to the Marines two movie star, how

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<v Speaker 1>did it happen? I was interested in acting in high school,

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<v Speaker 1>but it didn't really seem like a realistic job to

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<v Speaker 1>pursue in the town that I was from, a small

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<v Speaker 1>town called Mishawaka in Indiana, in northern Indiana. Uh. Then

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<v Speaker 1>September eleven happened, and I feel like most of the

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<v Speaker 1>people my age at that time, you know, felt a

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<v Speaker 1>sense of patriotism, and uh, I wanted to be involved

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<v Speaker 1>and do something. And I knew that the military um

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<v Speaker 1>or the Marine Corps specifically, seemed like something that I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to throw my energy towards him. It seemed like

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<v Speaker 1>the toughest branch to join, so I UM. I left

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<v Speaker 1>a few months later on like a January or February,

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<v Speaker 1>and then when I got out, had this maybe false

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<v Speaker 1>sense of confidence that like all civilian problems are small

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<v Speaker 1>because I was compared to the military. You know, um,

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<v Speaker 1>I can stand in lines and pay taxes, and that

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<v Speaker 1>would be something easily manageable. It's an illusion, but at

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<v Speaker 1>the time that's what I thought. And so I knew

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<v Speaker 1>that Juilliard was supposed to be the best school for acting,

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<v Speaker 1>and I figured, like, what since the Marine Corps is

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<v Speaker 1>the best for the military, I'll just I'll just go there.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll try to go there. And I was lucky enough

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<v Speaker 1>to get in and then graduated, and was also lucky

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<v Speaker 1>enough to keep working after I graduated, and that was

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<v Speaker 1>that was kind of a I'm going to ask you

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<v Speaker 1>something some personal stuff later, but I just want to

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<v Speaker 1>get out of arts in the Armed Forces. This is

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<v Speaker 1>a nonprofit organization, and I'm wondering if you could tell

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<v Speaker 1>us about some of the works that are being performed

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<v Speaker 1>and also how this came to be. So when when

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<v Speaker 1>I was at school, UM was really for the first

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<v Speaker 1>time I was exposed to theater, playwrights, characters and plays

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<v Speaker 1>that had nothing to do with the military at all.

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<v Speaker 1>But we're somehow giving me the language to describe my

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<v Speaker 1>experience in the military, and even just from being from

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<v Speaker 1>you know, the Midwest where my household. The emphasism using

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<v Speaker 1>your language to be able to communicate feeling wasn't something

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<v Speaker 1>that was often not necessarily encouraged, but just it wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>something we did very much. But if it was finding

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<v Speaker 1>through theater the language basically to express myself and and

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<v Speaker 1>process what had just happened. And I wanted to share

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<v Speaker 1>that with the people that I served with because I

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<v Speaker 1>remember that being an issue just people not being able

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<v Speaker 1>to express themselves or find the right words, and how

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<v Speaker 1>frustrated they would get at and how usually anger and

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<v Speaker 1>violence came from that, just not being able to use

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<v Speaker 1>their language in an environment like the military. Phrase you

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<v Speaker 1>know is filled with acronyms for acronyms upon acronyms, but

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<v Speaker 1>there's not really a lot of emphasis put on um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, language and expressing feelings. Uh. So, we tried

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<v Speaker 1>to go team up with the various veterans organizations to

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<v Speaker 1>see if they would be interested in it. Kept getting

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<v Speaker 1>the response that theater didn't fit in military demographic, that

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<v Speaker 1>the the people in the military wanted to see cheerleaders,

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<v Speaker 1>and which is true, My love cheerleaders. But I felt

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<v Speaker 1>like we were capable considering what we were being asked

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<v Speaker 1>to do. We were capable of handling something a bit

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<v Speaker 1>more thought provoking, like a play, you know, I think that.

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<v Speaker 1>And I had all these places that I was exposed

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<v Speaker 1>to for the first time, that Sam Shepard and David

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<v Speaker 1>Mammott and you know, Deniz Ravance, all these great writers

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<v Speaker 1>who um, I knew would resonate with the military audience.

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<v Speaker 1>So so Juilliard funded our first performance and we went

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<v Speaker 1>to Camp Helton, where I was stationed at, and we're

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<v Speaker 1>very confused about what it is we were doing there,

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<v Speaker 1>and we were kind of confused about what it is

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<v Speaker 1>we were trying to do, and somehow, over the course

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<v Speaker 1>of the evening that's it seemed to all the theater

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<v Speaker 1>and the military together just seemed to make complete sense.

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<v Speaker 1>And it's the best across across section of the best

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<v Speaker 1>people that we have in this country, you know, to

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<v Speaker 1>defend it. Why not bring them the best form of

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<v Speaker 1>entertainment like life theater. Well, I think I first understood

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<v Speaker 1>more than military mentality years ago when I went to

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<v Speaker 1>an Army base to profile a lieutenant colonel who was

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<v Speaker 1>leaving active duty after about twenty years and wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>transition into corporate America. I was trying to get a

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<v Speaker 1>middle management and you get, it becomes very clear the

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<v Speaker 1>skills you gain in the military, and certainly in combat

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<v Speaker 1>or just just serving. But how to convince people have

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<v Speaker 1>never served in the military, how that translate. It's interesting

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<v Speaker 1>to me that the military itself couldn't see that maybe

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<v Speaker 1>its own members could benefit and understand theater. So I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>it's almost like the military itself not realized. No, this

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<v Speaker 1>is a very diverse group of people with a lot

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<v Speaker 1>going on the Yeah. Yeah, it's the most you know,

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<v Speaker 1>culturally diverse, complex group of people who are in life

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<v Speaker 1>or death stakes daily. We're in acting, you kind of

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<v Speaker 1>pretend your circumstances or life and death. Uh, their day

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<v Speaker 1>to day actually is life and death. And so I

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<v Speaker 1>think that really great writing has those stakes built into

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<v Speaker 1>it so people automatically find And we were also presenting

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<v Speaker 1>things like that that weren't. It wasn't streamers. Those are great,

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<v Speaker 1>that's a great play, but it's not it's not a

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<v Speaker 1>theme centered around military. We hope to show characters that

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<v Speaker 1>highlight the human struggles that we all share that our

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<v Speaker 1>life and death. There aren't specifically, you know, within the

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<v Speaker 1>context of being in the military, because I think that's

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<v Speaker 1>you know, these people the people that within a job

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<v Speaker 1>that um is very stressful, But at the end of

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<v Speaker 1>the day, they're not um uh, they're people within a

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<v Speaker 1>military setting. So it's it doesn't completely define them. It's

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<v Speaker 1>not like they won't be able to Everyone has mothers

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<v Speaker 1>and fathers and brothers and sisters that uh stories that

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<v Speaker 1>are um. Hopefully they'll find resonance. One some examples of

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<v Speaker 1>the places in which your organization arts in the Armed

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<v Speaker 1>Forces A I T a F have performed Walter read

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<v Speaker 1>military Medical Facility, the Center there also just did one

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<v Speaker 1>I believe in April at Fort Hood in Texas. What

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<v Speaker 1>what how can businesses? How can how can people participate?

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<v Speaker 1>If they agree with this approach, they want to bring

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<v Speaker 1>more arts to the military, what do they do? Then

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<v Speaker 1>go to our website which is www dot A TA

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<v Speaker 1>dot org A I T A F. And I think

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<v Speaker 1>it also depends on where you're at within this the

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<v Speaker 1>journey of being in the military. If you're a civilian

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<v Speaker 1>that we definitely need volunteers and people to help us.

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<v Speaker 1>And if you're if you're in the military, you can

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<v Speaker 1>reach out to us through that website and and try

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<v Speaker 1>to bring us to your base. If you're a veteran.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it would be the exact same thing on

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<v Speaker 1>either side of UH. We're very much a new nonprofit.

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<v Speaker 1>Well we've been we've been going for six years, but

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<v Speaker 1>only in the past couple of years of it is

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<v Speaker 1>it really picked up steam and for the first time,

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<v Speaker 1>Basis are reaching out to us and they want us

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<v Speaker 1>to come there and and that's that's as simple as

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<v Speaker 1>it is. We have a very there's there's a low overhead,

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<v Speaker 1>so you can get to to any of us pretty quickly,

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<v Speaker 1>and we try. It's such a the project is designed

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<v Speaker 1>where we bring like a play or monologues, so we'll

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<v Speaker 1>take a uh we're doing Lobby Hero in South Korea,

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<v Speaker 1>for example, so it's a four person play. All we're

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<v Speaker 1>doing we're flying out there. We're reading the play, no sets,

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<v Speaker 1>no costumes, no lights, just on music stands. We come

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<v Speaker 1>in and we say hi, and we talk to people

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<v Speaker 1>and we read the play and then and then that's it.

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<v Speaker 1>And so it's an easy to transpo in and out.

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<v Speaker 1>I just have to put a plug for boom BERGALP

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<v Speaker 1>because we also have a growing recruiting military veterans program

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<v Speaker 1>and reaching out with various services for veterans just gonna

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<v Speaker 1>ask you any advice since you're here. We're a business channel.

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<v Speaker 1>We think about jobs and stuff. For somebody who's interested

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<v Speaker 1>in theater, military, you know, a veteran or not. What

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<v Speaker 1>what would you say, Adam and me as far as

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<v Speaker 1>how to get a job, Just just what's your one

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<v Speaker 1>thing that comes to mind? How to get a job

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<v Speaker 1>or pursuing it or not pursuing What's what's someone know

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<v Speaker 1>or have inside them? Everybody's different, I would say, everyone has.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, the things that I have to compete against

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<v Speaker 1>is a straight white male or completely different females or

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<v Speaker 1>people of color. So um, but I can tell I

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<v Speaker 1>can say my experience going to school. I mean, I

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<v Speaker 1>was lucky enough to go to Juilliard, to great school,

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<v Speaker 1>but by no means guarantees you work at all or

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<v Speaker 1>that you'll find a long career because of where you

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<v Speaker 1>went to school. But for me, especially coming out of

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<v Speaker 1>the military and having all this energy and wanting to

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<v Speaker 1>find something to put it in like theater can give you.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't know anything about theater culture or military culture.

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<v Speaker 1>So to find a place that I could that gave

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<v Speaker 1>me that structure was helpful. Thanks very much for spending

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<v Speaker 1>time with us. Adam Driver, of course, the actor who'll

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<v Speaker 1>be starting next in Martin Scorsese's movie A Silence. And

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<v Speaker 1>also he's the founder of arts in the Armed Forces.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Bloomberg. Thank you,