KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - Not long ago, when Pvt. Amir Farzaneh first arrived at U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, he wandered into the Java Café in the KMC Onstage foyer on Kleber Kaserne to catch a Wi-Fi signal.
Farzaneh, 27, an Army computer specialist from San Antonio, had just been assigned to the 212th Combat Support Hospital at Miesau Army Deport - his first duty station. As Farzaneh got online and began fixing something on his phone, someone asked if he'd like to be in the garrison's production of "Fiddler On The Roof."
KMC Onstage, the community theater program that's part of the garrison's directorate of Families & Morale, Welfare and Recreation, was holding rehearsals for the iconic musical about a Jewish family in Eastern Europe and needed men to fill out the cast as Russian soldiers.
"I was sort of taken aback. I was only here for two days and I didn't know anything," Farzaneh said. "Being here, I've made a lot of friends, pretty much the whole cast. They are so helpful and so kind."
That atmosphere helped cure Farzaneh's homesickness.
After working for several years working home foreclosures in Texas, Farzaneh joined the Army to learn about computers and get money to finish college. In January 2014, he shipped off to basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and then to computer training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Then he got the news, an overseas tour in Germany. Other than briefly living in Iran as a kid, Farzaneh hadn't spent much time outside the States. He couldn't point to Miesau on a map.
"That was a big thing. It's the first time I've been away from my family and friends for so long," Farzaneh said. "I was kind of taken aback, because I'm going to be away for two years."
Nate Records, KMC Onstage's artistic director, remembers when he was a Soldier and arrived overseas knowing nobody. Records understands what it means to miss friends and family.
"The theater becomes a little bit of your family," Records said. "It's a different kind of activity, not just something you pay to do. You're doing something with other people, and you are working to the same common goal -- the play as a performance."
KMC Onstage is a creative outlet that brings together community members from a variety of backgrounds. Some are Soldiers. Others are family members, Air Force personnel or U.S. government civilians. Children, many of whom take part in KMC Onstage's youth theater workshops, graduate to larger shows. For many, the stage offers an escape, Records said.
"It sort of becomes a place for you to break away from everyday life and put on a new character," Records said. "It's an opportunity to do something without having to pay and something to get to know people in the community."
Things came together quickly for Farzaneh. A fellow cast member who lives near Miesau offered rides to evening rehearsals. He watched videos online - from Russian soldiers to characters in "Gone With The Wind," trying to learn more about acting on stage. Each day at work, he'd look forward to performing.
Choreographer Steven Stanfill said Farzaneh's entrance to the theater - being randomly discovered in the Java Café -- breathes new life into the program.
"He's someone you want to be in a show," Stanfill said. "Sometimes those are the best folks, those who just say, 'Hey, yeah.'"
Stanfill, a veteran performer, said he was glad to see Farzaneh working hard and having fun with others.
"It's nice to see new faces on our stage. He's been here every single night and having a ball," Stanfill said. "He's done this with an open heart and he loves it."
Rehearsals were several nights each week. With fellow cast members, Farzaneh learned lines, songs and dances. The show opened in December and ran through January. When a leading character went Stateside, Farzaneh stepped into his role.
"It's been 100 percent worth it. Otherwise, I would be bored in my room, I'd be stuck watching movies on my computer," Farzaneh said. "This gives me a chance to expand."
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