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HELP FUND OUR FEMALE POWERED PLAY : DOLORES

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THE PROJECT

Help Shiraz Tzarfati and Bella Balsamo self-produce their passion project. DOLORES, a play written by Edward Allan Baker sheds light on the unfortunate realities of women all over living in abusive relationships and their means of survival. This project, powered by a team of strong women, sparks the challenging but necessary conversation on abuse and sisterhood.

DOLORES by Edward Allan Baker 
Dolores (Shiraz Tzarfati) escapes her abusive husband and seeks help from Sandra (Bella Balsamo), her sister who doesn't want to get involved. 
Set in Providence, R.I., the play takes us back to 1985. It is a Sunday afternoon, Sandra's only private time, when her older sister Dolores bursts in. 
A slice of life presented as a poignant conversation between two working-class sisters, drawn together by life's painful circumstances. 

THE PHILANTHROPY


Shiraz and Bella have collaborated with Voices of Women and are using art as a platform to ensure voices of survivors are heard, which is VOW’s main mission.

VOW is the lead initiative of the Battered Women’s Resource Center. Their mission is to bring together survivors of domestic violence to improve the systems meant to provide safety and justice for abused women and their children.
VOW members organize
 to promote long-term systemic change by documenting institutional failures, testifying at hearings, creating position papers, and meeting with local and state officials.
VOW provides training, support, and technical assistance so that survivors can reclaim their power, identify their needs, and collectively craft public recommendations.
The production of this play will be raising donations for VOW at the main entrance of the theater and all money raised that will not be used for production will directly go into helping VOW.
The actors will not be compensated for this performance and will give their hearts and souls to truthfully illustrate the lives of these two women and women all around the world.


THE PEOPLE

Shiraz and Bella met at The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute. They became fast friends and creative partners through their shared passion for visceral and instinctual theater. Their mutual propensity for opening fully to the craft is what lead them both to their mentor and director Suzanne DiDonna. 

 


Suzanne DiDonna
 
Suzanne has been a professional actor for more than 20 years. She began her studies at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute as well. She is a life time member of The Actors Studio and worked/trained with Ellen Burstyn, Estelle Parsons, Harvey Keitel. She has performed in numerous plays at the Actors Studio including the premiere of FREE GIFT INSIDE directed by Elizabeth Kemp and written by Edward Allan Baker. Her film credits include Hungry Ghosts Directed by Michael Imperioli, Trooper directed by Christopher Martini, Indiana directed by Toni Comas. Some of her TV credits include The $treet, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, The Jury, Brotherhood, Sex And the City, She had a recurring role on The Sopranos and Magic City.



Suzanne led Bella and Shiraz through the process of diving into these characters' lives and psychologies with acceptance, integrity and experimental thinking. In conjunction with their natural strong connection, Suzanne's mentor-ship and methods are the inspiration behind the production of the play. 

Funds raised will be put towards
- Director’s fee
- Set pieces
- Costume pieces
- Props
- Lighting design
- Advertisement
- Performance footage
- Cast and crew meals

We would like to thank The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute for having faith and confidence in us, gifting rehearsal and performance spaces out of support for our passion project. We, quite literally, could not have done it without the support of Victoria Krane and Dori Sullivan. Thank you!

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  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 4 yrs
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Organizer

Shiraz Tzarfati
Organizer
New York, NY

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