If there was any time that a Choreo-play like SHE needed to be seen it is now. Created by Choreographer, Playwright and Dancer, Jinah Parker, SHE brings the stories of sexual violence and the abuse of power to stage as told by four women. And oh what a time it is to tell these stories. October is domestic violence awareness month which was conceived as a way that advocates across the nation could connect with women and their children to help end domestic violence. It was also outlined as a month to celebrate survivors while respectfully mourning those who have died because of domestic violence.
Sexual assault, gender violence, rape, emotional abuse, physical and mental abuse are all forms of violence against women. While the tactics may vary, the implication and intent all lie within the abuse of power, a violation of space and privacy- all done with the intent to leave those who are preyed upon powerless and afraid. For anyone who has experienced these various forms of assault, at some point you do feel like your power has been taken away. Fear leads to silence and shame as well as a distorted outlook of relationships and a trauma that is not always easy to get over. With SHE, Parker is attempting to dismantle the silence that has become normalized in our lives and social atmosphere. SHE exists as an outlet to heal, connect, educate and understand gender violence and the abuse of power as seen through the stories of the four women and also through Sandra Bland’s story which is intertwined in the show. Directed by Ellie Heyman, , and produced by Kevin Powell, SHE is presented by a multi-cultural all female cast who connect to the audience through spoken word and dance. If there is anything that we have learned about the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal and the many more scandals that are not being as magnified is that there is an endless list of women and young girls who have and are experiencing sexual assault and different forms of abuse each day. Whether its physical or emotional articulating our experiences is not always easy.
Often times we have stories that lie dormant in our mind, buried in layers of other people’s experiences and art. Sometimes we unknowingly connect to fragments of art, melodies and dance vignettes wrapped in poetry and monologues that indelibly leave an imprint on our brain reawakening something inside of us that we discard and bury every day. I haven’t yet seen SHE but just talking to Parker alone impacted my mind and body in a way that I can’t explain but I felt like a patient who after thirty years was finally getting off an anesthesia or strong medication that had completely numbed every nerve in my body and I was now being forced to feel everything inside of me. So I can only imagine how impactful watching the Choreo-play is for many people.
“In December it will be two years since I conceived the idea of SHE, “ begins Parker in our phone interview. “I wanted to do something that was empowering for women as a whole and also for me. I had just left a job where I was a little miserable for almost five year and I just needed to be liberated and wanted that for other women. Somehow I got the idea for SHE and I thought wouldn’t it be great to use women that have actually experienced sexual violence as way to inform and educate. I put out a notice to different places and organizations and I was able to interview different women. Out of that group I chose four women who seemed to be on that cusp of jumping forward with their life and perceive themselves to be in a place closer to healing—- not saying you ever completely heal from something like that but I chose four women who agreed to share their story and allowed me to transform it into dance narratives and perform the piece alongside professional dancers. As I was piecing together their story I found that I had my own story to share that I may have buried as well.”
Parker explains that SHE has been a safe place to dismantles silence and unravel those things we keep bottled up inside. “The more silent we are, the more alone we feel. SHE breaks down the barrier of alienation and opens us up to a brave community which we can feel safe and encouraged. By building that community and being able to speak out at whatever level is comfortable to you is a step. There have been instances in which women will say “that through working on the show or seeing the show, I realize I’ve been abused or I’ve been assaulted” and people have vocalized it for the first time at our play. Also it is an educational tool where we redefine what a positive or negative relationship looks like . The show gives examples of traits of an unhealthy negative relationship and aspects of what a strong loving relationship looks like because sometimes we don’t know. We show what may happen to you in the bedroom or on the streets. SHE redefines what we’ve normalized and shows us that that healing is possible, therapy is available and a safe community exists to tell our story,” said Parker.
SHE plays tonight Friday October 20th at 7:30 p.m and Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. There is an open dialogue with the cast and audience after the play. For more information on SHE please visit Jinah Parker’s website.
SHE
NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE
2 West 64th Street at Central Park West
NEW YORK CITY, 10023
