Last night I went to dinner with friends and then the five of us drove to the Bankhead Theater in Livermore to watch Eve Ensler's, Vagina Monologues, the proceeds of which benefit Tri-Valley Haven, a place for women of domestic violence. Here's their website if you'd like more info www.trivalleyhaven.org
I knew several of the performers, none of whom is a professional in the field of drama. They are artists, poets, writers, volunteers, working women, women just like us.
The play is hysterically funny and painfully heart-breaking when you hear true stories about our sisters in foreign countries (and in our own) who are raped, suffer genital mutilation, and beaten. Sometimes these women can't leave their abuser, some do, some take their secret of rape or battering to their graves.
The last page of the Monologue program says,
"Tri-Valley Haven creates safe homes from abuse,
contributes toward a more peaceful society,
one person,
one family,
one community at a time.
Together, we build a world without violence."
4 comments:
What a clever way to raise awareness for a great cause. Sounds like you had some fun as well!
Thank you, Cindy, for alerting us to such a worthy cause. I did some volunteer work for the Battered Women's Shelter and was amazed to meet the women living there. Some looked like they had had difficult lives, came from poverty and were poorly educated. Others were suburban housewives with degrees and careers. Battery knows no income or educational level and each and every victim of violence needs a place of refuge.
These shelters for women and children are literally life-savers and can provide hope to the hopeless. They are a vital first step to ending the violence that takes place in far too many homes.
Sounds amazing. That's such a revolutionary show, I'm sure it was so powerful to watch. Glad you're blogging again Cindy!
Jellyhead, Eileen, and Kelly,
Thank you all for your comments. I must say, (becuase I'm in the process of participating in the sexual assault/domestic violence training at Tri-Valley Haven so that I can facilitate writing workshops there) that the statistics on rape and sexual assault are staggering. And the numbers of women who choose not to report (out of fear, embarrassment, or other reasons) is too high. That said, I hope that venues and exposure to the Vagina Monologues will make those things easier.
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