Interview-based Theater Makes Its Debut in Erie
Where Hope Is: Stories of Benedictine Influence reflects a snapshot-in-time
SUNDAY, JUN. 30
Putting the stories of women first, and in their own words, the Benedictine Sisters of Erie and Jenn Bokoch Gillett, an artist and playwright, will present the interview-based play Where Hope Is at the end of June.
This is a unique interview-style theater. The play is a historical snapshot of the 1960s through 1980s, reflecting Benedictine Sisters' influence in Erie based on the more than 60 interviews Gillett conducted with St. Benedict Academy (SBA) alumnae, Benedictine sisters, and others whose lives were shaped and are still being shaped by the sisters.
"It is incredibly powerful every time a woman is given the time and space to tell her own story," said Gillett. "Through the interviews I have been reminded that people generally want to do good. What that looks like can change from generation to generation but everyone I spoke with wanted to leave a positive impression both on the world and in their interactions with others," she said.
These decades cover anti-war protests, grape boycotts, and the civil rights and women's movements. The Benedictine sisters were there speaking up, speaking out, and in so doing, shaping the lives of the young women at SBA and throughout the City of Erie. Their story is one of spirituality, community, and passionate commitment to justice for those denied a place at the table.
Gillett is a documentary theater-maker residing in New York. Her mother and her aunt were both SBA graduates and she grew up hearing stories about their experiences. Gillett, along with the show's director Ashley Renee Thaxton-Stevenson and six actors, will travel to Erie from New York to present the play. While they are here, they will also present a theater workshop to children at the Benedictine Sisters' Inner-city Neighborhood Art House.
2:30 p.m. // Hirt Auditorium, 160 Blasco St. // $10 // For more info: eriebenedictines.org
