Event

They Call Me Arethusa

How do you know if you know a woman who's survived abuse? The answer is: You do.

Arethusa Speaks, a theatre company with a social justice mission focusing on survivors of intimate partner violence, makes their New York City debut with their solo performance piece They Call Me Arethusa, after critically acclaimed runs in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC and the FringeArts Festival in Philadelphia, PA. This spokenwordstyle docudrama exposes the devastation laid by intimate partner violence through the voices of modern women and their mythological sisters.

Developed by performer and writer Colie McClellan, the script is based on interviews that she conducted over several months with women who are survivors of intimate partner violence. McClellan weaves her own poetry in and out of these testimonials, incorporating Greek myth and Southern folklore based on stories from McClellan's home town in coastal South Carolina. With a series of minimal set pieces, props, lights, and sound, crafted by director and designer Mark Kennedy, each woman's voice is given shape, metaphor, and theatrical presence.

Written, Performed, and CoProduced by Colie McClellan
Directed, Designed, and CoProduced by Mark Kennedy