NMU Theatre’s ‘Ghost Soldiers’ portrays Polar Bears expedition during WWI
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – May 9 is opening night of Northern Michigan University’s Theatre and Dance Department’s “Ghost Soldiers”.
“Ghost Soldiers” is the 2024 Panowski Playwriting Award winner. The play follows six soldiers who were a part of the “Polar Bear Expedition” during World War I. The Polar Bears were sent out to Russia to guard civilians and equipment during the Russian Civil War. These soldiers were put on the front lines without the appropriate weapons, equipment, or even warm enough clothes. Most of these men were from the Midwest, and 100 of them were from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Polar Bears: Roaring past the war
“Ghost Soldiers” is written and directed by Keli Crawford-Truckey. She used inspiration from her husband and NMU professor Paul Truckey, whose grandfather was one of the soldiers in the division.
“[Paul Truckey’s grandfather] ended up carving out a leather boot from an enemy of the Bolshevik soldier and kept a diary of his expedition over there. And then that has now gone to the Heritage Center at NMU,” said Cayden Smaka, who plays Greenbean. “And from that, Keli has taken what Paul’s mom has told him about his grandfather in the time of the war and what she has read in the diary and kind of composed like this whole show based off of that. And there’s a specific and there’s multiple lines like most of the things that happen in the show are from the diary itself.”
NMU’s “Ghost Soldiers” has two more performances at the Black Box Theatre on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at nmu.universitytickets.com.
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