The Savage Wonder Festival of Veterans in the Arts is produced by Veterans Repertory Theater, a professional theater and event nonprofit founded by veteran Christopher Paul Meyer upon leaving the military in 2021. In September 2021, Meyer created the Savage Wonder podcast and literary blog. The blog provides space for poets and creative writers to share their work. The podcast explores the lives of veterans in the arts through long-form one-on-one interviews. Each interview and written work unearthed compelling backstories of tragedy, struggle, perseverance, and triumph coupled with unique and extraordinary talent. By February, Meyer realized that Savage Wonder needed to expand into a more public showcase—a sort of “Lollapalooza” for veterans in the arts.
Each performer at the Savage Wonder Festival is more than just an accomplished professional artist, each is also a veteran or an immediate family member. Their backstories – the tragedy, the struggle, the perseverance, and the triumph – lends each one’s art a powerful depth. A dance choreographer who was a Marine machine gunner in Fallujah, Iraq. A combat veteran and female engagement team member turned poet. An Iraq veteran handpicked by Placido Domingo to be one of his proteges. An Afghanistan veteran and survivor of a green-on-blue attack whose debut outlaw country album was engineered and produced by the Grammy winning Station House in Los Angeles. These are not your typical world-class artists.
Pairing with the Sugar Loaf Spring Festival, Year 1 of the Savage Wonder Festival saw over 4,000 visitors flock to the Village of Sugar Loaf and raise over $10,000 for our four local veterans nonprofits. With a full year to plan the next Savage Wonder, we’re excited to implement a lot of improvements and a lot of cool new additions to the festival. Stay tuned for news and updates about Year 2 coming in 2024…
