Author-veteran wants you to get off your seat

Jeff Key has plenty to say about how he left the U.S. Marines and his objection to U.S. tactics in the war on terror. You can hear all about it in the Showtime movie "Semper Fi" or in his one-man show, "The Eyes of Babylon," opening Oct. 10 at Durham's Common Ground Theatre.

But the touring artist told the Denver Post that he hopes he won't be preaching to the choir.

"If somebody came to my play and absolutely disagreed with me to the extent that they then went out and started to lend active support to some pro-war Iraq veterans, I would feel like I had achieved my purpose even more so than if somebody came in who was opposed to the war and said, 'Yep, he was right' and then did nothing.

"Good theater gets people off their couches, and if there's anything we need in America right now, it's to get people away from the TV and doing something about what they believe in -- whatever that is."

Key has set a good example for activism by launching the Mehadi Foundation (www.mehadifoundation.org), which aims to help veterans suffering from depression, post traumatic stress disorder and drug and alcohol addictions, and to support philanthropic efforts in Iraq.

"The Eyes of Babylon" runs through Nov. 2. Key is offering a military discount, and veterans of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan get in free. Details: 698-3870, www.cgtheatre.com.