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MCC Daily 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.

Elizabeth Johnston
English/Philosophy
06/19/2018