SWAN DAY EVENT
“Communicate
Sober”
Celebrating
Women’s Voices
(pictures by Kim T. Sharp)
Our Swan Day Event, “Communicate Sober,” a reading of
monologues, plays and short fiction written by voiceless women recovering from
drug addiction in a writing workshop co-led by Jan Buttram and Bara Swain at
Women-in-Need was a wonderful success!
| Back row: Paige
(social work intern, WIN), Gus (actor), Maayan (actor), Gina
(social worker, WIN), Cynthia (actor), Candace (actor), Candace (actor), Amanda
(actor), Qiesha (intake social worker, WIN)
Front
row: Jan
(teaching artist), Jenny (actor), Rita (writer/actor, WIN), Bara
(teaching artist), Lisa (graphic designer) |
Nine multi-ethnic actors and one workshop participant gave energetic
and heart-felt readings of 70 pieces of writing from a publication designed by
Lisa Feldman for this occasion, including photos and illustrations of the
participants and staff at Women-in-Need, a center for wellness and drug abuse.
We had approximately 25 attendees – playwrights, directors,
artists and friends of Abingdon – who joined our cast for the celebration at
Abingdon’s Dorothy Strelsin Theatre.
They were all focused and attentive as they “experienced” the words and
stories shared by more than 35 workshop participants.
During the Q&A, an intake worker and a social worker
who attend our writing sessions spoke sincerely and eloquently about the
Women-in-Need Program and the impact that our writing workshop has had on their
clients. Jan Buttram, Artistic
Director of Abingdon Theatre Company, urged the artists present to consider volunteering
their time and talent as well.
“The workshop has changed my approach to writing,” said Ms.
Buttram. “Now I try to make my
dialogue as honest as possible.”
Another playwright was so moved by the discussion and the courage of
these women in recovery that she wept.
I’d also like to express my gratitude to Jan Buttram and
Kim T. Sharp for being ICWP’s partner for this event. We all thank ICWP for your generous grant in order to make
our SWAN Day Reading a success in support of ALL women artists – now.
Below are the rest of the pictures (click to see the full-sized picture):
Jenny and Lina
| 
Maayan and Jenny
|
Rita and Cynthia
|  Gus |
 Jenny |  Candace, Maayan, Jenny, Lina, Gus and Rita |
 Lina |  Cynthia and Amanda |
 Cynthia |  Rita |
 Rita |  Paige, Gina, Rita, Bara and Quiesha |
Jan, Paige, Gina, Rita
and Bara
| |
at the top of the post