"A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer" Presented at Rohovec Theatre

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A cast of 17 people presented "A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer" edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle, to commemorate V-Day Otero County 2015. Writings to stop violence against women and girls were beautifully presented by the cast on February 6, 7 and 8, 2015 at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo in their Rohovec Theatre in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women. V-Day believes women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities. V-Day is a catalyst: By raising money and consciousness, it will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering far-reaching awareness, it will lay the groundwork for new educational, protective, and legislative endeavors throughout the world. The foregoing are some of the goals in the V-Day Mission Statement.

Many people came together from the community to help Director Sherri L. Campbell fulfill her vision of awakening everyone to the various forms of violence in this world and indeed in our very own community. The setting for the production is a coffee house and each performer comes forward at the appointed time to speak.

L to R: Narrator Nadia Sikes, Monica Helm "I Can Hear My Soul Cracking" by Slavenka Drakulic

The Coffee House Setting

The Lobby Billboard

Carla Kerr with Director Sherri L. Campbell who stepped in and did "Groceries" by Abiola Abrams

Sherri Campbell giving instruction to Remi Gibbs "Maurice" by Kathy Najimy

L to R: April Cray Rhodes "To Stop The Violence Against Women" by Alice Walker, Cliff Young "Untitled" by Nicholas D. Kristof, and Remi Gibbs

Lighting Designer Rod Barnes and Kathy Barnes "True" by Carol Michele Kaplan

In makeup room, Keddy Richardson "The Perfect Marriage" by Edward Albee

Three lovely young ladies from Alamogordo High School volunteering their time at the snack bar of the theatre, Janelle, Isa and Naomi

T-shirts hanging in the lobby created by students for V-Day

Ann Bagby "Banana Beer Bath" by Lynn Nottage

Perry Lawson "Rescue" by Mark Matousek

L to R: Mary Hammon "True", Lorie Stauffer  and Shirley Warsham "Banana Beer Bath"

L to R: Cliff Young, Sherri L. Campbell and Remi Gibbs

Director Sherri  discussing staging with Chris

Joylyn Mercouris, all around helper, actress and usher

Joylynn and Assistant Director/Stage Manager Connie Breding having fun pointing to one of the pictures taken by Photographer Rachel Telles

Publicity Writer extraordinaire Carolyn Dittmer

Kristina Marzano "The Most Beautiful Girl" by Jyllian Gunther

Crystal Sierra "Celia" by Edwidge Danticat

Kristine Fambrough "I Can't Wait" by James Lecesne

Carla Kerr "Variations on M. Weinberg" by Moises Kaufman and Doug Kerr "The Closet" by Howard Zinn

Poem: "My Revolution Begins in the Body", Ensemble

Pita Quintana, House Manager

Doug (her sweetie) and Kristina at the after party in Chili's

Producers were Peace and Justice of La Luz We Trust Women Council of Elders, The Southern New Mexico Wellness Alliance, Inc. and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program. 

Doug Kerr and I were indeed privileged to be a part of this community effort to help eradicate violence. What an extraordinary cast and visionary Director Sherri L. Campbell we got to work with. We look forward to staying involved until the violence is no more.

This is all I have to say for now.