Emotional Creature - Raleigh, NC

The Story:
As Eve Ensler writes in I am an Emotional Creature, 

"Dear Emotional Creature,
You know who you are. I wrote this book because I believe in you. I believe in your authenticity, your uniqueness, your intensity, your wildness. I love the way you dye your hair purple, or hike up your short skirt, or blare your music while you lip-sync every memorized lyric. I love your restlessness and your hunger. You are one of our greatest natural resources. You possess a necessary agency and energy that if unleashed could transform, inspire, and heal the world"

and I think the world could use some of that healing.

In January 2016, things are going to change. The rights of people we care about are going to be put in jeapardy. More importantly, just a few days ago we saw a woman, the most competent woman perhaps to ever run for president, lose because someone shouted louder. Although we sobbed when we heard that same woman say to young women everywhere, 

"Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world"

But the message is not good enough. Young women and those outside the binary need to be shown and should experience how much power their voices have. I've wanted to mount "Emotional Creature" for quite some time and I can't think of a better time to do it. I was lucky enough to go to an all women's college and to sit with a room of women, at our first rehearsal of  The Vagina Monologues, and hear why we should be proud of who we were. Every single person, before we even started rehearsing said why they were proud to be themselves and planned what they could accomplish. This was before I heard these monologues that would change my life. This was before I yelled "C*nt!" to a screaming crowd of women. This was before I directed The Vagina Monologues myself. 

Learning this in college or in your late twenties is too late. The young women of Raleigh and those outside the binary need to know their voices matter. That's why this is a perfect opportunity to do a piece by Eve Ensler perfectly tailored to that age group. 

The Plan:
Coinciding as much as possible with The Vagina Monologue's VDAY, I want to mount a production of Emotional Creature, using the same approach as the monologues:
- No Memorization (Notecards)
- Only 2-3 Rehearsals
- Non Actors Welcome, and as many cast as textually possible
The goal is to accomplish it in a week with the following schedule:
Monday: Auditions- Group Discussion and Cold Reading (The cast list will be emailed out that night)
Tuesday: First Rehearsal
Wednesday: Everyone brings their notecards with monologues written on them and we fine tune. 
Thursday: Tech Rehearsal. Start with a Q to Q and then we run it. 
Friday: Show 1
Saturday: Show 2
Sunday: Show 3 and Strike

The Age Range will be ages 13-18, just because of the material. Younger can be considered but rape and assault are discussed in the text. 

Costumes and Set will be incredibly simple. I'm planning on doing a group discussion about gender, goals, and activism, so even if there are those that are not cast, everyone can have a part of that. 

What I Need:
For three performances, Dramatists Play Service requires $100 per each performance bringing the total for royalties to $300 for 3 performances. 

I'm talking Sonorous Road, and while I don't have the exact quote, the site lists $1250 per Week, allowing 5 hours of rehearsal time each day. 

Alternatively, from the site, if I used the acting classroom for 3 hours Monday-Wednesday that would be $180
Then for Tech- Run at $325/day that would be $975, the total could be $1155 for space rentals

So the lowest it could cost is $1455

and the largest would be $1550.


What Else Does This Do?

Beyond general empowerment, proceeds would be split between the VDAY Foundation, Interact of Wake County, and additional venue costs.

Important Links:

Emotional Creature- Dramatists Play Service 
VDAY.org 
Emotional Creature- Official Site