Student Tribune
Maria Brandt's Upcoming Play at Geva's Fielding Stage Addresses Domestic Violence, Rape Culture
On June 11, Attorney the White House ruled against providing asylum to
victims of domestic violence, a move strongly condemned by many.
The ruling is yet another evidence of our society's failure to take
seriously the ongoing and pervasive violence perpetuated against women, not
only internationally but within the United States. According to the National
Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1/3 of all women living in the United
States have experienced some form of domestic violence, with hotlines receiving
more than 20,000 calls a day.
This is why English & Philosophy Department Professor Maria Brandt's new
play, Swans, is so important. In it, Brandt, an award-winning
playwright and Monroe Community College professor, addresses issues of rape
culture and toxic masculinity via the story of Shirley (played by Judy
McCaffrey), a woman who flees her abusive husband, leaving behind her
thirteen-year-old son, Paul (played by Spencer Christiano). The play examines
what happens when, years later, Shirley returns to reunite with her grown
son.
But Swans is not really Shirley's story; it is Paul's.
Brandt's choice to situate a man at the center of her play is significant.
Through Paul's wild dream sequences, his interactions with his girlfriend,
Laura (played by Marcy Savastano), and his vexed and complicated relationship
with his father, Dan (played by Kevin Sean Sweeney), we witness the cycle of
violence associated with domestic abuse. We are challenged to rethink the ways
we define manhood and the ways in which we pass on toxic masculinity to our
sons.
The play is beautifully written, complex, and timely. At its heart, it's
about the stories we tell ourselves about sexual violence, about how individual
perspectives shape and reconstruct those stories, and what our responsibility
is when we both speak and hear these stories. Because as much as we need to
tell these stories, we also need to hear them.
Swans, co-produced by Straw Mat Writers and Method Machine, will run at
Geva Theatre Center's Fielding Stage Thursday, June 21, at 7 PM, followed by a
post-show talkback featuring RESOLVE of Greater Rochester and Stand Up Guys;
Friday, June 22, at 7:30 PM; and Saturday, June 23, at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM. The
June 23 7:30 PM show will be ASL-interpreted. Swans is directed by David
Henderson, and features Spencer Christiano, Marcy Savastano, Judy McCaffrey,
and Kevin Sweeney. Tickets can be purchased at www.gevatheatre.org or by
calling 585-232-4382.
Johnston, Elizabeth
English/Philosophy
06/19/2018