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Dear BOLD Friends,
Can it really be almost Thanksgiving? It used to feel like the month of September flew by quickly, but with BOLD now happening throughout the year I feel like the past year went by in a blink.
This newsletter shares with you a few of our recent productions. Make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy the BOLD ride! I'm in awe of the BOLD Organizers who bring the play and BOLD Red Tents to their communities - often with complicated and busy personal lives to manage, which makes them all-the-BOLDer!
In addition to working on a new play, I'm busy preparing a series of Performance and Writing workshops for mothers on childbirth and beyond...and a really exciting workshop I'm teaching (my personal favorite!) called "Naptime for Moms." I hope to unveil the new website and workshop dates next month!
Stay Warm this winter, do at least one fun thing for yourself, and of course: Be BOLD!! Hugs,
Karen
PS: BOLD 2010? Applications will be ready next month!Labor Day 2010 kick starts our 5th year...be prepared for some BOLD surprises...and consider coming on a BOLD retreat with me next summer!
Celebrating Labor Day 2009 with former BOLD Coordinator Angela Lauria!
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BOLD Bermuda
Guess who performed at Bermuda's performance of BIRTH this year? Gentle Birth/Water birth author, workshop leader and activist Barbara Harper! (she's the first BOLD woman on the right in the photo!).
Check out a front page article on the performance in The Bermuda Sun! Click here.
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BOLD Ottawa
Robin Guy and her crew of actors at Three Sisters Theater Company in Ottawa got BOLD and performed the play 4 nights in August as a fundraiser for a ground-breaking Breech Birth Conference in Ottawa in October. They then performed the play again at the conference!
Have a look at some local press on the play - here!
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BOLD San Antonio, Texas
From BOLD Organizer Stephanie Shearer:
Over 300 people came to San Antonio's first production of BIRTH in two
performances at a blackbox theater. Our show was supported by 37
mother-friendly sponsors. The audience laughed out loud as they
related to the birth stories in the show. The cast wore all black with
orange accents that highlighted the characters' personalities. The
character Sandy revealed orange leggings under her dress as her OB told
her to "Open wider!" To show her professionalism, the character Lisa
carried a trendy orange hobo bag on stage as she walked in. And
the character Jillian had a bright orange flower in her hair that went
right along with her bubbly personality. We are proud that the show
was attended by women from the Guadelupe Home, a homeless shelter for
pregnant women and moms and their staff, and by the staff of the
Martina Street Women's Center that serves low-income women
with parenting classes and other educational programs. One performance
was ESL interpreted. The audience bought t-shirts during intermission
that say "My Body Rocks! birth mantra" after intense chanting at the
end of the first act. They drank complimentary wine that was donated to
us and bought chocolate brownies too. Our talkback just barely got the
conversation started asking the question "What is mother-friendly
maternity care and what are specific solutions that we can take with us
today?", leaving the audience wanting more and ready to get involved in
BOLD San Antonio. Our proceeds will be donated to the San Antonio
Birth Doulas (SABD), an organization that provides doulas to low-income
and teenage pregnant women. This
inaugural event was BOLD and beautiful!
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BOLD Maui
From BOLD Organizer Robin Garrison:
Aloha,
Just
came home from our Maui performance. I think it was definitely one of a
kind since Jillian was performed in pidgin (Hawaiian dialect) ... our
all local cast (of Hawaiian or partial Hawaiian descent) was full of
grace, beauty and wisdom. The crowd laughed, cried and was full of
appreciation for the messages.
We started with a circle and
Hawaiian Chant ... as the actresses went into a semi-circle, I moved to
the front of the stage and introduced it. Kathy Collins, who played
Jillian opened the play with such power that the audience could not
help but to continuously ride the wave. Each and every performance was
unique, moving and impactful. I couldn't wait until it was done (with
full time nursing school, 5 kids, producing and directing BIRTH) ...
but now it is like ... what's next?! We only had one formal performance
scheduled but now I know we need to do more. I'll keep you posted on
the progress.
The talkback was great as well. One of our local
OB's attended as well as a Nurse, Midwife, Doula and a Hawaiian mother
from the community. The biggest issue that came up was the fact that
there are rules and regulations in the hospital which only allow 2
people in the room with a laboring mom ... we are going to make a
movement to change that ... a woman should be able to have whoever she
wants at her birth. The third one might be the crucial person to get
her past that hurdle and the fourth might be the one to inspire. I will
let you know how it unfolds.
In a nutshell it was fantabulous and I feel very proud to be part of this global movement.
Check out an article about the play in Maui - here!
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BOLD Red Tents
BOLD Red Tents continue to thrive. Here's what our organizers tell us:
BOLD Red Tent Coordinator Becky
Van Note from Mableton, Georgia shares:
"Several women there were pregnant with their
first child, or not yet pregnant yet, and I am so grateful that we were able to
give them an environment to hear about other ways of giving birth and challenge
them to think about what their story will be for their first baby!
One of the most moving stories was a woman who
ended up having a cesarean, after much coercion from her doctor and a
challenging pregnancy and labor. Her
story was so powerful. Her description
of what she was feeling as they strapped her to the table, and how helpless she
felt. She ended by saying that she would NEVER be that powerless and out of
control again. Her reason for attending
the Red Tent was to being to find ways to avoid having the same outcome the
next time she became pregnant. It was a
very moving moment for everyone there."
BOLD Red Tent Coordinator Megan Rall from Soiux Falls, South Dakota shares:
"It was an emotional, powerful evening. I think those of us there felt connected in a
way that is so empowering as women and mothers.
I personally avoided telling my birth story last year at our event
because of fear and guilt, but this year I did tell my story and I am so pleased
that I did so. I felt understood and
supported in this group of women who were mostly strangers to me before the
event."
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BOLD on YouTube!
Lots of BOLD locations have posted fun, informative and entertaining pieces on YouTube to promote their shows and showcase their events. Here are just a few:
BOLD Ottawa - Birth teaser
BOLD Little Rock - Public Service Announcement
BOLD Fort Collins, CO - interviews with women on the street about birth
BOLD Nashville - photo montage from performance
BOLD Red Tent Kelonwa - photo montage
BOLD Red Tent Atlanta - photo montage
BOLD Red Tent Paris - photo montage
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Plan to Give Birth BOLDly?
Check out:
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Give BIRTH for the holidays!
Want to give a book that's sure to drop some jaws? Order a special edition of Karen Brody's play, Birth, with stories and photos from the BOLD movement. Add it to your Amazon gift purchases click here. |
Final BOLD Thought...
BOLD 2008 Red Tent, Giorna, Spain
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