The slim attendance in Carlyle did not prevent the actors of Collateral Bodies from giving a heartfelt performance. Six women took the stage on Oct. 19 at Carlyle Memorial Hall to sensitize audiences of the struggle and abuse women face across the world merely for their gender. The play which was written by actor, playwright and activist Erin Rachel Kaplan takes six women from different cultures sharing their experiences and somehow simultaneously making their experience one. There was an almost impromptu style of storytelling which added to emotion the women tried to convey. The violent act each woman described was different but all were rooted in gender discrimination. The American, Mexican and Indian culture was explored bringing to life problems specific to their society, while the same idea was replicated in the Iranian, Somali and Eastern European cultures.
Each actor pulled emotion from the audience with their performance, Emera Megenbir played the role of Nadiya, an Eastern European women lured from home to Turkey with promises of work. Her story turned into lies quickly when she realized she was sold into prostitution. Megenbir said being a cast member has helped her to be a better woman and because of it she feels more in tuned with women everywhere.
"It had a huge impact, I came into this not really knowing the story or anything and at first it was really hard just to say any of the lines," she said
"But now that we've done it a lot, it has just opened our eyes to so much that has happened around the world, we all feel empowered to go out and help so many people."
Collateral Bodies is hard hitting delivering stories that cannot only rock audiences from their seats but also have an impact on the actors. But Connie Nightingale, who plays Esperanza an exploited Mexican labourer said her experience has been wonderful. She explained that being a part of Collateral Bodies has provided her with one of the best opportunities she's ever had.
"It might be hard to believe but its very fun, 99.9 per cent of women are involved in this production and even though the stories we're telling is so dark we've learned to bond with one another. And know one another and laugh almost immediately getting off the stage which is needed after going through what we go through on stage," Nightingale said.
The play didn't only consist of six women sharing their experiences, but there was a seventh female who was silent and used dance to convey the pain, hurt or sadness the women felt while imparting their story. She was called the "woman in white" and she was played by Chelsey Edwards who said her role was to comfort each woman on stage when they're telling the hardest part of their story. She added that her presence is to interpret the women's' movement that can't be done due to their vulnerable state.
"I bring some kind of softness to every single story that the women are telling, so I'm helping them tell their stories as well as representing every single woman out there who is silent," she said.
Every scene and line was heavy with emotion, almost requiring one to shed tears. Annmarie Martineau took on the topic of female circumcision as Rajeey, a Somali girl who's being prepped for marriage. Martineau explained that there were times during her performance that she could not get out the words for her monologue. As Rajeey she spoke of the social discomfort she faced before getting circumcised and internal battle against female mutilation.
"I read the part and I thought it was an awesome story to be told and I hope to convey the message of the pain," Martineau said.
Collateral Bodies also showed the North American side of female abuse, with the character Hope, portrayed by Cara Schultz. Hope is an American woman, who after years of being in an abusive relationship shoots and kills her husband. With lackluster advice from a state lawyer, she pleads guilty and goes through the justice system as a woman labeled as violent. Schultz said this role is closer to home but said abuse isn't any better or less depending on which country you're in but rather, it's a serious issue no matter where you are.
"Abuse in any form in any country has the same kind of effects on everyone and it comes in different forms and it happens in different ways but it always affects the individuals and the women and the way they feel about themselves," she said.
Crocus 80 Theatre which operates out of Weyburn,SK partnered with the Envision Counseling and Support Centre which were on site to provide counseling to anyone who attended the play. Female abuse was centre stage and the women told stories where women were even abused by their entire family.
Wendy Sidloski was Asha, an Indian woman who recounted horrid tales of her marriage and the strenuous dowry payments her family faced. Dowry is money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband or his family in marriage. But Asha's life took a turn for the worse when she faced complications during her pregnancy. Sidloski said Collateral Bodies is different from other plays in that, many parts of the performance are random and she said this took some time to perfect. "We've been at this since July, so it feels like we've been at this for a while but with this particular play you need a long time to learn it because it's so randomly put - it's not a conversation between characters , we're not suppose to know each other is there," she said.
"We're not talking to each other - it's random and that's been the hardest part is to know when you're to speak next, so we've got a handle on that now but it took a long time for us to get there."
Cast member and executive member of the Crocus 80 Theatre, Sabrina Kraft, said when the play was introduced to their theatre it was embraced for its message. Kraft played the role of Omid, an Iranian woman who after being raped faced stoning for alleged adultery. She explained that the cast was passionate about performing Collateral Bodies and hopes that everyone is able to take something away from the play. She also added that Crocus 80 Theatre will showcase Collateral Bodies at the Theatre One competition in Regina which will be held on Oct 31 to Nov 1. Crocus 80 Theatre has already performed in Weyburn, Estevan and now Carlyle and Kraft explained that the performances leading up to the competition in two weeks is vital.
"We have had this opportunity to perform in three different communities to spread to the story and get this information out there and now we're just a close knit group, we're so bonded, we're so ready for competition that when we go to Theatre One in two weeks in Regina, that's our last performance and it will be the best," she said.
"Our characters have been coming along so well that when we step on stage that we are the characters, we just hope that everyone was able to take something away from it."
Each woman's form of abuse was different and steeped in cultures that would seem bizarre to each other but the pain and unjust nature of their demise was the same. The characters are not true to life the stories are real and reflect what happens in the world each day. Each woman's story ended with a deep sense of sorrow details of which won't be divulged; see for self, Collateral Bodies is a play with an insightful look on female abuse across the world.
