[Sorry, I feel like that sounds… dirty? Oh boy. (It’s not meant that way.) Moving on…]
What I’m talking about is working on a show on domestic violence!
I am just going over my script right now, so I can be all nice and memorized for the scenes we’re blocking tomorrow. I’ve obviously been over this script a number of times. I wrote it. Re-wrote it. Did it for my BMI final. Did a reading of the full-length…. I’m familiar (haha).
And yet, even still, there are some scenes that are tooooough [tough, in case that didn’t read].
You’d maybe think after all this time (we’re coming up fairly soon on the 3-year anniversary of being assaulted), and all this trauma therapy and everything… You might think it all just rolls of my back.
And I deeeeeeeefinitely can handle it in a way I wouldn’t have been able to before. There was a time when I wouldn’t have even been able to put fingers to keys and get it on paper. And there was a time where I probably wouldn’t have been able to perform it without losing my mind.
So, I definitely can handle it now, at least. And I am so pleased, and honored, and happy to be sharing a story of domestic violence, that hopefully sparks a conversation, to a real (fresh) audience.
I’m so happy this is being staged, and getting legs, and will hopefully be put up again somewhere! But maaaaaaaan, are parts of it hard to do.
It will be interesting to me to see for how much longer of my life this stays a thing – how much longer I can keep trying to parlay this domestic violence musical into more readings and more opportunities, how much longer festivals and various places take notice, and if things change/get easier or harder (or anything) when it comes to re-writing and acting in it…
Of course I imagine it gets easier. (In no way is it even close to unbearable now or anything. It’s very bearable, and I’m so happy to be working on this, in case somehow that wasn’t clear.)
But yeah, it’s… it’s an interesting journey. And I look forward to seeing the rest. Anyway, better get back to my script! xo
[For more on the sexual assault series, you can go here. Thanks!]