Seven 'Vital Voices' are the Subject of Jan. 21 New York Premiere

Seven 'Vital Voices' are the Subject of Jan. 21 New York Premiere

NEW YORK, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Seven, a documentary theatre piece based on the real-life stories of seven extraordinary women who are part of Vital Voices Global Partnership, will make its staged debut at the 92nd Street Y on Monday, January 21, at 8pm.

The production, featuring seven individual monologues told by seven actresses, is a collaboration between Vital Voices and seven award-winning playwrights, including Anna Deavere Smith, and is directed by OBIE winning director Evan Yionoulis. The other playwrights are Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, and Susan Yankowitz. The actresses include Linda Emond, Danai Gurira, Mercedes Herrero, Christine Toy Johnson, Mahira Kakkar, Joan MacIntosh, and Heather Raffo.

The lives of these diverse and courageous women illuminate the work of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women's nonprofit in Washington, DC, that identifies, trains, and connects emerging women leaders around the world. Seven is part of Vital Voices' year-long celebration of its first decade of serving woman around the world. "Vital Voices is proud to be collaborating with such distinguished playwrights on this groundbreaking work of documentary theatre," said Melanne Verveer, Chair and Co-Founder of Vital Voices Global Partnership. "The lives of these women provide a portal through which audiences will be able to experience a diversity of cultures while bearing witness to the varied ways in which individual women have overcome seemingly insurmountable hurdles to justice and freedom. We hope the Seven stories will inspire audiences to commit themselves to changing our world for the better."

The playwrights interviewed the women and created a script that resounds with the women's own, individual voices from around the globe, including those of:

Hafsat Abiola, Nigeria, an advocate for human rights and democracy following the murder of her activist parents, founded the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy, which provides skills-training and leadership opportunities for young women across Nigeria. She now helps build bridges between African and Chinese women, as China increases its engagement in the African continent.

Farida Azizi, Afghanistan, became an activist fighting the marginalization of women under Taliban rule in her native country. Because of threats on her life, she has gained asylum and now lives in the United States with her two children and works on women's rights and peace-building in Afghanistan.

Annabella De Leon, Guatemala, raised herself and her family out of poverty by getting an education. She has been a Congresswoman since 1995 and has received death threats because of her fight against corruption and for the rights of the poor, particularly women and indigenous peoples.

Marina Pisklakova-Parker, Russia: Against tremendous odds in 1993, she founded the first hotline for victims of domestic violence, which has since grown into Center ANNA, part of a coalition that has provided crisis and counseling services for 100,000 Russian women.

Mukhtar Mai, Pakistan: Gang raped by four men and forced to walk home almost naked in retribution for an alleged "honor crime," Ms. Mai and her harrowing story grabbed headlines across the world. Instead of taking the traditional "women's" route of committing suicide, she brought her rapists to justice, built schools to improve the condition of women, and became an advocate for education in her country.

Inez McCormack, Northern Ireland, is an activist for women's and human rights, labor, and social justice and a former President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. She now chairs a program, the Participation and Practice of Rights Project, that helps the disadvantaged access resources and services in Ireland, both North and South.

Mu Sochua, Cambodia: The former Minister of Women's Affairs in Cambodia (one of only two women in the cabinet), she was co-nominated in 2005 for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work against sex trafficking of women in Cambodia and neighboring Thailand.

Vital Voices Global Partnership (http://www.vitalvoices.org/) envisions a world of peace, justice, and economic opportunity for all, where the voice of every woman is heard and respected. Based in Washington, DC, the nonprofit, nongovernmental organization (NGO) invests in emerging women leaders and builds the capabilities, connections, and credibility they need to unlock their potential as catalysts of global progress. Through leadership development and local empowerment programs around the world, Vital Voices works to expand women's role in generating economic opportunities, increasing political participation, and protecting human rights. The Vital Voices Global Leadership network of 5,000 women in 85 countries represents the vital voices of our time. For more information, please contact: Eileen White Read, Media Relations, 202-861-2625, x 3003; eileenread@vitalvoices.org.

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Source: Vital Voices Global Partnership

CONTACT: Eileen White Read of Vital Voices Global Partnership,
+1-202-861-2625, ext. 3003, eileenread@vitalvoices.org

Web Site:

http://www.vitalvoices.org/

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