RivkaRivka
Senior Member
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July 14, 2011 -- Report back from World Premier of I REPRESENT: INVISIBLE NO MORE
Feel free to disseminate.
Good news! The "guerilla street theater" performance of the play I REPRESENT: INVISIBLE NO MORE was performed today -- its world premier. This play has actors representing real-life people who are, by and large, either homebound or bedridden with ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). They have 2 performances total, today and tomorrow, both outside and in front of a health care center at Missouri State University, Springfield, MO -- hence the "guerrilla street theater" aspect of this project. (They are considering trying to find a third venue for a third show, something indoors. Unsure at this time.)
I talked briefly with the 4 actors via speaker phone today, a half hour before their first show. As the playwright and co-organizer, I like to do this as a check-in/pep talk type of thing, even if I can't physically be there. I asked them to go around and each say their name, the name of the patient whose story they are acting out and a few words on what they are feeling at this moment or about the project in general. One by one, as they passed the phone around, each actor (2 men, 2 women) told me how honored they were to be part of this production, to be representing the brave patients who, by and large, don't have the strength to get out and publicly speak out about the illness themselves. I got all choked up listening as they all told me how genuinely grateful they were to be part of this production. How completely opposite what most of us patients feel, right? We feel like we are throw-aways, that society wants nothing to do with us. And here these actors were saying how honored they were to represent us publicly. Wow!
Soon after the 45 minute performance, the director, Ivy, called me. Excited, she said it went very well, that a lot of people walked by, including whole groups, and that a good number stopped and paid attention, even if only for a short while. She was not sure how many people stayed and for how long. She, herself, was not able to pay attention to that, as she was videotaping. Several people came because they knew the actors and they stay a bit longer. Ivy interviewed some of the audience for their reactions. She said one boy, about 13 years old, came up afterwards and asked if he could donate some money to help ME/CFS. And one guy noticeably stayed for the whole show. (But left soon after, so she was not able to ask him any questions.)
The actors handed out informational handouts when they were not in a scene, so passers-by got handouts even if they did not stop and watch.
At tomorrow's performance, Ivy will pay closer attention to how many folks actually stick around and watch a whole scene or two (i.e. a full patient's story). That way we'll see if this is an effective mode of raising public awareness, or if we should work more towards getting the play into spaces where there is a captive audience, like a theater.
Also, if any press come it would be tomorrow. We've reached out to -- and gotten some interest from -- local newspapers and radio stations. But press is tricky. Interest does not always translate into action. So time will tell. Same with if a good video can be made of the performance.
Thanks again to the patients for sharing their stories with the world! They are having an impact!
Rivka
Rivka (at) ThatTakesOvaries (dot) org
Feel free to disseminate.
Good news! The "guerilla street theater" performance of the play I REPRESENT: INVISIBLE NO MORE was performed today -- its world premier. This play has actors representing real-life people who are, by and large, either homebound or bedridden with ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). They have 2 performances total, today and tomorrow, both outside and in front of a health care center at Missouri State University, Springfield, MO -- hence the "guerrilla street theater" aspect of this project. (They are considering trying to find a third venue for a third show, something indoors. Unsure at this time.)
I talked briefly with the 4 actors via speaker phone today, a half hour before their first show. As the playwright and co-organizer, I like to do this as a check-in/pep talk type of thing, even if I can't physically be there. I asked them to go around and each say their name, the name of the patient whose story they are acting out and a few words on what they are feeling at this moment or about the project in general. One by one, as they passed the phone around, each actor (2 men, 2 women) told me how honored they were to be part of this production, to be representing the brave patients who, by and large, don't have the strength to get out and publicly speak out about the illness themselves. I got all choked up listening as they all told me how genuinely grateful they were to be part of this production. How completely opposite what most of us patients feel, right? We feel like we are throw-aways, that society wants nothing to do with us. And here these actors were saying how honored they were to represent us publicly. Wow!
Soon after the 45 minute performance, the director, Ivy, called me. Excited, she said it went very well, that a lot of people walked by, including whole groups, and that a good number stopped and paid attention, even if only for a short while. She was not sure how many people stayed and for how long. She, herself, was not able to pay attention to that, as she was videotaping. Several people came because they knew the actors and they stay a bit longer. Ivy interviewed some of the audience for their reactions. She said one boy, about 13 years old, came up afterwards and asked if he could donate some money to help ME/CFS. And one guy noticeably stayed for the whole show. (But left soon after, so she was not able to ask him any questions.)
The actors handed out informational handouts when they were not in a scene, so passers-by got handouts even if they did not stop and watch.
At tomorrow's performance, Ivy will pay closer attention to how many folks actually stick around and watch a whole scene or two (i.e. a full patient's story). That way we'll see if this is an effective mode of raising public awareness, or if we should work more towards getting the play into spaces where there is a captive audience, like a theater.
Also, if any press come it would be tomorrow. We've reached out to -- and gotten some interest from -- local newspapers and radio stations. But press is tricky. Interest does not always translate into action. So time will tell. Same with if a good video can be made of the performance.
Thanks again to the patients for sharing their stories with the world! They are having an impact!
Rivka
Rivka (at) ThatTakesOvaries (dot) org
Great Thing Rivka!
