Poetry, Music, Humor Combine for Annual WoW Event

Contributed

The annual Women of Word (with a few Man Made Words) poetry event will be taking place at Gannon's Schuster Theatre and featuring a reading from Dionne D. Hunter along with a number of local poets, writers, and slam poetry performances.

TUESDAY, FEB. 24

Thasia Anne Lunger, director and producer of the project Women of Word (with a few Man Made Words) presents to her audience a soft landing for some very serious and heavy topics. Inspired by an open mic night at the Erie Store in 2011, Lunger created this collective that now showcases a diverse cast of local performers and gives voice to many who have had first-hand experiences with domestic violence, homelessness, trauma, and loss. This fine arts production is crafted from the lived experiences of local spoken-word artists, poets, dancers, and musicians. Here, the spoken word reaches true depth and crafts a safe space for the performance while simultaneously encouraging survivors.

Lunger is aware that these performances bring light to many tougher areas of life. As a social worker, she "knows that these discussions can bring on many emotions. And [we] now invite agencies to attend, and be at our reception immediately following." Lunger hopes to enlighten and stand as a reminder of the resilience in establishing connection after hardship. Even as these works are presented here with great depth and meaning, there are still challenges in keeping a lightness. "We added music, dance, and humor to the poetry so that the performance wasn't depressing, but instead enlightening," says Lunger.

Attendees in the audience this year are in for a very special treat as nationally known author, spoken-word artist, and motivational speaker Dionne D. Hunter will be traveling from North Carolina to join the cast. Hunter, author of I Am a Dahomey Warrior! has also created, produced, and starred in shows delving into similar themes. And for all of the wonderful returning cast members, including Luchetta Manus, Darryl Brown, Cathi GG Mitchell, Elyse Palmer, Matt Borczon, Courtney Forbes, and Narrator Kathy Schaaf, there will also be a few new additions. Jordan Bubin adds a dynamic slam poetry reading and Shani Bills, Paul Groh, and Leon Sam Briggs arrive on stage for a very special ending.

After the performance, audience members will have the opportunity to attend a reception catered by A Waffle Miracle, with agencies on site to offer comfort and compassion as needed. Built for times such as these, the cast and crew of Women of Word (with a few Man Made Words) takes a good hard look at who we are and gently shares the collective stories of where we've been. 

6 to 8 p.m. // Gannon University's Schuster Theatre, 620 Sassafras St. // Free // For more info visit Facebook Event