To the Moon
written by Beth Kander
directed by Betty Hart
Streaming has ended. Thank you for your supporting this project. Our 2021 Summer Season will be announced on May 1st.
To view the Program, click HERE.
To view the Delve Deeper Study Guide, click HERE.
About the Play: To the Moon is a stunning docu-drama 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.”
What to Expect: Originally conceived for the stage, this developmental production of To the Moon was performed remotely by actors from their own homes, costumed primarily from their closets, with minimal props, and digital scenic design elements.
Content Advisory: To the Moon contains descriptions of domestic abuse and some strong language. See a complete list of content advisories and trigger warnings here.
Are Closed Captions available?: Yes! Both version of the video are closed caption enabled. Just click the “CC” icon on the control bar at the bottom right hand corner of the video screen. Captions are available in English only.
Need help troubleshooting technical difficulties? Check out our handy guide!
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
800-799-SAFE (7233)
thehotline.org
24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse.
Contacts to The Hotline can expect highly-trained, expert advocates to offer free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages.
RISE ABOVE VIOLENCE
24/7 Crisis Hotline: (970) 264-9075
riseaboveviolence.org
For To the Moon, CRT is partnering with Rise Above Violence, a private nonprofit organization located in Pagosa Springs, CO whose primary mission is to assist victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
Rise Above Violence is offering facilitation and support services to our artists, staff, and patrons (through post-show talk-backs) as we explore this subject matter.
There are many ways to help victims and survivors in our community.
To ask about volunteer opportunities, please call (970) 264-1129.
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
Creative Team
Director
Betty Hart
Scenic Rendering Artist
Mikki Marvel
Costume Design
Elly Hunt
Sound Design & Original Composition
Katharine Horowitz
Dramaturgy
Lynde Rosario
Video Editor
Neil Truglio
EDI Facilitation
Brittni Shambaugh Addison
Emily Diaz
Domestic Violence Support & Resources
Ashley Wilson, Rise Above Violence
Stage Manager
Karen Schleifer *
Assistant Stage Manager
Gabriella L. Howell
CAST
Laura Chavez
Diana Dresser *
Rachel Fowler *
Lynnette R. Freeman *
Kathryn Grody *
Delia Kropp
Kat Peña
Kariana Sanchez
* Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
SPECIAL THANKS
This production would not be possible without the generous support of our Sponsor
David Katz
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WELCOME!
Playwright’s Note
Beth Kander
In my first draft of this note, I started to share my own survivor story. To compare where I was more than a decade ago to where I am today; to share a glimpse of my deeply personal perspective on this topic. But I think maybe it’s enough for you to know that I have a story to share, even if you never know the details. To begin wondering how many other people in your life have a story you don’t know. Then, hopefully, to realize that we shouldn’t have to personalize an issue as terrible as domestic violence in order to care about it.
When a woman is victimized, we often see posts where well-intentioned people say things like “She was someone’s daughter/mother/wife/sister.” They’re trying to remind us of the victim’s humanity – but the thing is, we shouldn’t need that reminder. Lives have their own intrinsic value, regardless of who they are in relation to someone else. We should care about them because of their own humanity.
To The Moon isn’t about “an issue,” it’s about humanity. It’s about people. The characters you’ll meet in this play, who I hope you will find heartbreakingly human – and the dozens of real survivors who inspired their creation. Yes, their lives were all touched by domestic violence. But that’s just one of their many truths. The survivors who shared their stories for this piece are brave and quiet and fierce and mild and funny and as varied a community as you can imagine.
No survivor owes us their story, but when someone shares it we do owe them our attention, our support, and our commitment to help make things better. The gift of theatre is that it allows so many of us to tell the stories we want to tell in a safer and more magical way; thank you to everyone who helped shape this piece, to our cast and crew and the inspiring CRT team for bringing it to such vivid life, to David Katz for commissioning and continuing to support this play, and to our audiences for being part of this hard but necessary conversation. Let’s end these stories here, in our lifetimes.
Director’s Note
Betty Hart
To the Moon surprised me when I first read it. I, like you, knew it was about domestic violence. I knew it was an issue in our country, but that’s about all I knew, sad to say. I, like far too many, had an “out of sight, out of mind” perspective about this. It isn’t that I trivialized it. I simply didn’t think about it at all. If I had thought about it, I would have presumed correctly that it disproportionately affects women of color and that more women experience this than men. I didn’t know that domestic violence is so pervasive that it affects children, men, people of all incomes, geographic locations, and that privilege is no preventative to this disease.
This play was written before the Pandemic. When I think about the pandemics of 2020, I think about Covid-19 and Racism. It never occurred to me that Covid-19 caused a rise in domestic violence, as people were trapped in their homes. Imagine the place where you should feel most safe becoming more dangerous as our country and world experienced lock downs. Imagine not having access to your friends and family, nor having the potential respite that going to work may have provided. That was the reality for some.
What surprised me most from Beth Kander’s moving play was that the characters felt familiar to me. They didn’t seem like the “other” that I had presumed survivors to be. They were my neighbors, friends, colleagues, or they could be because anyone could be a survivor. There wasn’t a “look” or a “type”. This could happen to anyone. I began to wonder what I could do to help. Could I ensure that anyone who knows me could ask for help or support and I wouldn’t ask questions like “How did you get into this situation?” or “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” or “Why did you stay?” I hope that instead, I could be an individual who would do what I can, be a true ally, and offer unwavering love and support.
You see, my hope is that this play will become a period piece—something that people will look back upon and say “once upon a time,” or “a long time ago, this was the way the world was.” Imagine that. That this play would become completely unnecessary in the future because domestic violence is a relic of our past. You and I can help make this hope a reality by no longer turning a blind eye because we aren’t in these situations. We can choose to care, to read and absorb the data, and to allow these stories to move us to make our communities safe.
Thank you for bearing witness of these stories. Thank you, Creede Repertory Theatre, for producing To the Moon. Beth, thank you for sharing these stories in a beautiful and nuanced way. To this exquisite cast and design team, I am grateful. And, to all the survivors, please know that you matter. Your strength is unimaginable. We are here for you. You are not alone. Together, we will make this world better.
