The Silent Soldiers Memorial

The Silent Soldiers Memorial is a live-art event that marks the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I. Over 20 Ohio State students wearing WWI–style uniforms will make their way across campus, stopping at Thompson Library, University Hall, the Oval, and the Wexner Center for the Arts. Watching the march, spectators can consider the profound impact of “war to end all wars.” The student performers will represent a diverse spectrum of participants in the war, including infantrymen, nurses, doctors, and ambulance drivers, and some will portray men from Ohio State who fought. Each student plays an actual historical figure and will be able to provide observers with information about his or her role in the memorial.

Created and staged by the Department of Theatre, The Silent Soldiers Memorial is inspired by a performance on July 1, 2016, in the United Kingdom that acknowledged the centenary of the Battle of the Somme in a similar way. The work is part of a year-long, practice-based research project on WWI that includes the exhibition Forbidden Zones: The Great War, which runs from March 29 to April 9, 2017.

Cosponsored by Ohio State’s Department of Theatre.

Support for this event is provided by Ohio State’s Departments of History and Theatre, Mershon Center for International Security Studies, the Division of Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences, the University Libraries, and the Wexner Center for the Arts.