The Lucki Project
a tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Doris “Lucki” Allen
Dr. Doris Ilda “Lucki” Allen passed away June 11th, 2024, at the venerable age of 97. Dr. Allen, or “Lucki” to all that knew her, was a decorated Army Intelligence Analyst and held a Phd. in Clinical Psychology. In her 30 year military career, Lucki was credited with saving thousands of lives. Most notably, Lucki predicted the Tet Offensive, one of the largest military intelligence failures in US history, yet her warnings and petitions were completely ignored, largely due to the fact of her gender and race.
This Veterans Day Weekend, November 9th + 10th at 10am EST, IVP will honor the life and legacy of our dear friend and American hero, Lucki, with a special broadcast on WLIW-FM, Long Island’s only NPR station, and everywhere NPR streams.
The full presentation will include a replay of “In Their Footsteps: The Radio Play”; a round table discussion with IVP Founder Ash Singer, U.S. Air Force veteran + independent multimedia journalist Christina Brown Fisher, and Writer + Investor Nirupa Umapathy; and an audio + visual compilation of interviews with Dr. Lucki, in her own words.
IVPers will recognize Lucki's incredible story of service in the Vietnam War from our original documentary play, “In Their Footsteps.” Writer/Director Ash Singer interviewed Lucki and four other women – a mix of civilian and military – who served in the Vietnam War in 2016-2017. Those interviews formed the dialogue and plot of the play, transporting the audience into the world and experiences of those five women, in their own words.The play has toured extensively in the following years. To read about the full history of the production, click HERE.
The Lucki Project
“In Their Footsteps: The Radio Play” — written and directed by Ash Singer; Sound Editing by Andrew Dunn; featuring Caroline Peters, Chrystal Bethell, Criena House, Kate Szekely, Niki Hatzidis; additionally featuring Meggie Trang, Jessica Schecter, Gerrard James, Joshua Michael Payne, Austin Gelfman, Chris Triebel, Danny Romeo, Erinn Nelson, Melinda Filonuk, Bronwyn Rose Hazard, Silvana Schutz
Round table discussion featuring Ash Singer and Christina Brown Fisher, moderated by Nirupa Umapathy
Interview compilation + Round table edits by Samantha Szekely
Graphic design by Riley McMillan
Program produced by Kate Szekely
Veterans Day + Beyond
The Oakland Project
In 2016, IVP traveled out to Oakland, California to interview Lucki for the first time. She showed us around, sharing with us the people and the places she loved most. In 2019, Lucki traveled over to NYC to see “In Their Footsteps” and have a post-show talkback with the audience. It was then that she first talked about wanting to bring the play over to the West Coast – her home – to share her story with the family and friends. But, between logistics, health scares, pandemics, and finances, IVP was never able to bring “In Their Footsteps” to Oakland before Lucki’s passing.
Now, with the national coverage of “The Lucki Project” (2024), it is IVP’s intention to bring a multi-day live event to Oakland in tribute of our mentor and friend in 2025. The program would include three performances of the stage play of “In Their Footsteps,” a live roundtable event (similar to the one in the 2024 radio broadcast), audio + visual tributes to Lucki from loved ones, and post-show talkbacks with veterans organizations, mental health nonprofits, and community organizations.
IVP is currently looking for potential funders, West Coast producers, theater spaces, and patrons that will help bring this program to Oakland for Veterans Day 2025. If you or someone you know is interested in contributing or learning more about the proposed program, please reach out directly to kateszekelyivp@gmail.com.