V-Day is proud to co-sponsor this very special Father’s Day weekend event, “Made in America: A Conversation with Kevin Powell.”
With moderator Eben Wood, professor of English at Kingsborough Community College, Powell, a long time V-Men activist will discuss fatherhood, manhood, ending violence against women and girls, the battles around immigration, pop culture and state of hiphop, the state of urban America, gay marriage, the 2012 presidential election, and his new book, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and The Ghost of Dr. King.
WHAT: Made in America: A conversation with Kevin Powell
WHEN: Friday June 15, 2012, doors open at 6:30pm
WHERE: The House of The Lord Church, 415 Atlantic Avenue (between Bond and Nevins Downtown), Brooklyn, NY 11217
Admission is free, all people and all ages are welcome.
On Sunday, June 24th, Rosario Dawson and Jane Fonda will join fellow V-Day Board members Carole Black, Jennifer Buffett, Beth Dozoretz, Mellody Hobson, Katherine McFate, Pat Mitchell, Amy Rao, Lisa Schejola Akin, Emily Scott Pottruck, and Susan Celia Swan for a special benefit performance of Eve Ensler’s Emotional Creature, followed by Sunday supper at the Hotel Shattuck Plaza with members of the cast, Eve, and Director Jo Bonney.
Proceeds will benefit two of V-Day’s newest campaigns: V-Girls, a program providing girls worldwide with a platform for their activism; and ONE BILLION RISING, a campaign that will gather one billion women and men in a global action to end the violence against women culminating on 2-14-13.
From June 14 – July 15, Berkeley Repertory Theatre will present the world premiere of Eve’s powerful new play Emotional Creature. Staged by Obie Award-winning director Jo Bonney and performed by a talented ensemble of young women, Emotional Creature is made up of original monologues–and irresistible songs–about and for girls. Placing their stories squarely center stage, it gives full expression to their secret voices and innermost thoughts, highlighting the diversity and commonality of the issues they face. Emotional Creature is a call, a reckoning, an education, an act of empowerment for girls, and an illumination for parents and for us all. And it’s receiving its world premiere here at Berkeley Rep!
Join us for this exciting day of theatre, food, friends, and activism. You can buy your ticket directly online at www.vday.org/ecbenefit2012
Emotional Creature will run from June 14 – July 15 at Berkeley Rep. Tickets start at $14.50 for attendees under 30, and $29.00 for those over 30. Tickets are available for all dates through the Berkeley Rep box office here >
Today a female soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire.
This staggering statistic comes to us from a new and important documentary film The Invisible War. Winner of the Audience Award 2012 at the Sundance Film Festival, The Invisible War is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military.
The Invisible War is directed by Oscar®- and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated; Twist of Faith), and produced by Emmy®-nominated and award-winner Amy Ziering. The film opens in theaters June 22nd in New York City, Washington DC, San Francisco, with future engagements in Chicago and Boston, among others.
This is an important film on an important topic. Please stand with us in supporting and raising awareness about the issue of violence against women in the military, it is essential that these women’s stories are heard.
In February we launched ONE BILLION RISING and in just a little over three months the campaign has spread to 142 countries around the world. Women and men from Mali to Afghanistan, Rwanda to Taiwan have pledged to STRIKE, DANCE and RISE on February 14th, 2013.
We’ve seen tens of thousands of new activists come on board. We’ve seen V-Day benefit events in the UK and Australia, Italy and South Africa, and in over 50 other countries end with audiences standing together to show the world our collective strength. The numbers are unprecedented, and the numbers are growing. Women and men are committed and excited, as one V-Day Portsmouth activist told us:
“Many audience members who came laughed with me, cried with me, shared their stories with me, and in doing so promised to continue the fight…if we can reach women on a local level, then we can reach them on a global level. Soon enough the women touched by this production will join the One Billion Rising that will work toward ending domestic and sexual violence in the future.”
Among the many groups and individuals joining this effort are V-Day beneficiary organizations and a team of regional coordinators – who have just signed up to lead the way in their regions. Here’s what some had to say:
“Love this idea and please count our program as a partner in this innovative and beautiful effort to end violence against women and girls across the globe.” – Collaborative Response to Violence Project Safe Place, Chico, CA
“Please do list us on your website. Thank you so much for all the great work you do, it is very heartening to know we’re not trying to do this alone.”
– Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Coventry, UK
“Desde Guatemala, envío un saludo y comparto la emoción por esta oportunidad para difundir el Activismo Mundial que nos permita ponernos de Pie y Erradicar la Violencia en Contra de Mujeres y Niñas.”
– Guatemala Regional Coordinator Marsha Pamela Lopez
We hope you are as inspired as we are by the scope this campaign is taking. One billion is large number and we need all of you. If you haven’t signed up yet, if you haven’t spread this message, please take a moment to do so now here >
Now is the moment that we must gather, harness our collective energy, and escalate towards this celebration.
The United States House of Representatives bill 4970, or the “Adams Bill” is an unacceptable version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that imposes new reporting restrictions on immigrant survivors of violence as well as Native American women, communities of color, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender survivors. Although the bill passed in the Senate 68-31, it narrowly lost in the House 222-205. Now is the time to urge Congress to send the President a strong, bipartisan VAWA reauthorization bill that protects ALL survivors.
In the coming weeks the House and Senate will reconcile the bill in the conference process where we can all push to ensure that the vote will more closely reflect S. 1925, the version of VAWA that the Senate passed which includes funding for services to previously underserved populations. To do this it’s important to thank those who stood for and with survivors of violence, and express disappointment in those who did not.
If you are a man (or know a man) whose personal life has been touched by violence against women, and you would like to share this story with the V-Day community on our website, please contact Mark Matousek (mark@markmatousek.com) for submission information. We would love to hear from you! Non-writers more than welcome.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced the cast and creative team for its world premiere of Eve Ensler’s Emotional Creature! The production features a terrific choreographer, an innovative composer, four top designers, and an energetic ensemble of talented young women. Directed by Obie Award-winner Jo Bonney, Emotional Creature plays only 36 performances in the Roda Theatre.
The cast for Emotional Creature showcases six exhilarating performers: Ashley Bryant; Molly Carden; Emily S. Grosland; Joaquina Kalukango; Sade Namei; and Olivia Oguma. The play features music and music direction by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, an actor, musician, musical director, and composer who is renowned in his native South Africa as the creator of highly innovative and controversial shows, and choreography by Luam, an internationally renowned choreographer who has worked with top artists including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Britney Spears, and Kanye West.
The creative team for Emotional Creature features four exceptional designers. Myung Hee Cho (scenic and costume design); Lap Chi Chu (lighting design); Jake Rodriguez (sound design); and Shawn Sagady (video design).
Tickets start at $14.50 for attendees under 30, and $29.00 for those over 30. BUY tickets >
Join V-Day June 24th for a special V-Day benefit performance of Emotional Creature followed by Sunday Supper with Eve, the cast, and director Jo Bonney. Tickets are $1,000 for adults, $500 for accompanying teens (ages 13-19). BUY your ticket at www.vday.org/ecbenefit2012 >
V-Girls Action Team Member Mbali Khumalo shares what V-Girls means to her. “I want to live in a V-Girl world,” says Mbali, who is from Johannesburg, South Africa. “I want to live in an Emotional Creature world in which the coolest thing is to be is exactly who you are.” V-Girls is a global network of girl activists and advocates empowering themselves and one another to change the world, one girl at a time.
RISE and stand with V-Day in supporting The International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict! The global campaign launched May 6th and kicks off a Week of Action calling on local activists, Nobel Peace Laureates, international advocacy organizations, and groups working at the regional and community levels to demand urgent and bold political leadership to prevent rape in conflict areas (including Burma, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya), protect civilians and rape survivors, and call for justice for all — including effective prosecution of those responsible.
From June 14 – July 15, Berkeley Repertory Theatre will present the world premiere of Eve’s powerful new play Emotional Creature. Staged by Obie Award-winning director Jo Bonney and performed by a talented ensemble of young women, Emotional Creature is made up of original monologues–and irresistible songs–about and for girls. Placing their stories squarely center stage, it gives full expression to their secret voices and innermost thoughts, highlighting the diversity and commonality of the issues they face. Emotional Creature is a call, a reckoning, an education, an act of empowerment for girls, and an illumination for parents and for us all. And it’s receiving its world premiere here at Berkeley Rep!
Exciting Emotional Creature Opportunities!
Berkeley Rep thinks providing young people with access to empowering plays like Emotional Creature is vitally important. They will be donating up to 3,000 FREE Community Access tickets to Bay Area non-profit organizations and government agencies serving young people and at-risk youth.
On Sunday, June 24th there will be a special V-Day benefit performance of Emotional Creature followed by Sunday Supper with Eve, the cast, and director Jo Bonney. Tickets are $1,000 for adults, $500 for accompanying teens (ages 13-19). Proceeds will benefit two of V-Day’s newest campaigns: V-Girls, a program providing girls worldwide with a platform for their activism; and ONE BILLION RISING, a campaign that will gather one billion women and men in a global action to end the violence against women culminating on 2-14-13.
V-Day is proud to co-sponsor this very special Father’s Day weekend event, “Made in America: A Conversation with Kevin Powell.”
RISE and stand with V-Day in supporting