To The Moon is a stunning hour-long docudrama based on over 200 surveys and 20 in-person interviews with survivors of domestic violence, lifting up the riveting stories of these survivors, complete with humor, revelation, and tragedy. Because “statistics are not the most powerful way to change someone’s mind. Stories are.”
SYNOPSIS
Synopsis
To The Moon is a stunning hour-long docudrama based on over 200 surveys and 20 in-person interviews with survivors of domestic violence, lifting up the riveting stories of these survivors, complete with humor, revelation, and tragedy. To The Moon was commissioned by the now-shuttered American Theatre Company of Chicago as part of their Community Open Residency Experiment (CORE). While most CORE projects invited playwrights to submit work of their choice on any topic/theme, this was a specific call, sponsored by ATC board member David Katz in honor of his aunt who was a survivor of domestic abuse, for playwrights to submit proposals for the creation of a docudrama about domestic abuse.
Playwright Beth Kander was selected for her proposal, which included a plan to partner with a diverse collaborative council of artists to share insights, be available to interview survivors, and help distribute the anonymous survey and ensure a wider cross-section of survivors could be represented and honored. The goal was to bring an inclusive, intersectional approach to this piece. This play and its writer owe a debt of gratitude to Amanda Jane Long, Sallee Murphy, Arian Thigpen, and Allyce Torresm as well as to David Katz and the ATC community. Many thanks for your artistry, advocacy, and partnership in laying the groundwork for this play.
Ultimately the survey yielded almost 200 responses, and two dozen one-on-one interviews with survivors were conducted by Beth and her team, which led to the creation of the script. Seven survivors, and an eighth character unseen until the end, embody the experiences shared in the interviews and survey responses. Interspersed with interstitials, optional multimedia elements, and theatrical explorations of abuse culture and what we must acknowledge to overcome it, the show is direct without being exploitational. Diversity in casting is encouraged.
To The Moon was first professionally presented online during the pandemic by Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado. Directed by Betty Hart, the project was underwritten by the original commission donor, David Katz.
QUOTE
To The Moon is the kind of issue play created to raise awareness, and to let people realize they are not alone – that they can take action, if action is needed to get out of their situation.
–New York Theater Blog
More Info
Characters:
Amelia is based primarily on two interviews with young creative women who found themselves broke and in bad intimate relationships in their twenties, but survived. Age range: 30s.
Beverly is based on two interviews with two high-earning white Southern Christian women in their forties. Age range: 40s.
Cecilia is based on responses and interviews with multiple mothers/women still not fully disentangled from the complicated relationships with their abusers. Age range: 20s-30s.
Debra is based on one full-length interview and several lengthy survey responses from women over sixty. Age range: 60s-80s.
Ellen is based on multiple interviews with and survey responses from deeply religious white Evangelical Christians. Age range: 20s-30s.
Faith is based primarily on interviews with and survey responses from African American women who currently or previously sought refuge in women's shelters. Age range: 40s-50s.
Geri is based on survey responses from individuals who identified as LGBT; specifically from accounts shared by respondents who identified as trans* or gender-nonconforming. Age range: Flexible.
Hope is kept hidden from the audience until the end, including in the program (actor can be acknowledged post-show). She represents the approximately 1,100-1,400 women murdered by an intimate partner in the U.S. every year— three or four women, every day. This play focuses on survivors, and on domestic abuse that does not always entail physical abuse, but escalates because it is ignored. Sharing the voice of the voiceless felt important to this process. The director can cast Hope as they see fit; the writer recommends looking up local statistics on the women most likely to be impacted in the community at hand. In the first workshop reading in Chicago, Hope (then simply “H”) was portrayed by a Latinx woman in her 20s.
Setting: The recent past
Set can be a house where each survivor has their own room, or as bare-bones as folding chairs and spotlights, with options for projecting multimedia.
Performance Royalties for AMATEUR and EDUCATIONAL Groups, please fill out an application for your personalized quote.
Performance Royalties for PROFESSIONAL Theaters will be quoted as a box office percentage, with a minimum guarantee based on ticket prices and theater particulars. Please fill out an application for your personalized quote.
Authorized Materials must be purchased from Stage Rights as a part of your licensing agreement (see Materials).
Billing responsibilities, pertinent copyright information, and playwrights' biographies are available in the show rider that comes with your license agreement.
"To The Moon is the kind of issue play created to raise awareness, and to let people realize they are not alone – that they can take action, if action is needed to get out of their situation." – New York Theater Blog
Authorized Materials must be purchased from Stage Rights as a part of your licensing agreement. Your materials will be sent to you digitally by your Licensing Representative.
The Authorized Materials/Production Package for To The Moon are all fulfilled digitally and consist of:
Acting Edition
Stage Manager Script
GALLERY
Gallery
Available Products
To The Moon
by Beth Kander
PDF Perusal Script of TO THE MOON. Download instantly in the "My Products" or “My Perusals” section of your account. Not intended for production purposes.
| Product | Description | Price |
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PDF Perusal Script of TO THE MOON. Download instantly in the "My Products" or “My Perusals” section of your account. Not intended for production purposes. |
$7.00 |
