Out of Silence: Abortion Stories will be presented by MoB Theatre Company in Partnership with University of North Carolina Wilmington

Stories are powerful. They are timeless and universal. They allow us to share a perspective we may not otherwise understand. Theatre brings us one step closer. Mouths of Babes (MoB) Theatre Company joined hands with University of North Carolina Wilmington to help us see more clearly, and listen deeply to stories that matter; not just to the women who lived them, but to all of us. Out of Silence: Abortion Stories will be performed at the UNCW. Afterwards there will be a "talkback" with the cast, moderated by Dr. Dana Stachowiak from the UNCW Gender Studies Program. The event will take place at Kenan Auditorium, on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. The offering is free and open to the public.

Out of Silence, originally commissioned by Advocates for Youth, has been performed around the country. This production will be a bit different. It will include five of the twelve originally commissioned pieces; but with the addition of newly created material penned by local playwrights. The new works include two monologues: one by Anonymous, the second by Chloe Mason, a recent graduate from Appalachian State University; and a short play by Marie Marrinan, an MFA graduate student at UNCW. The five works from the originally commissioned work were penned by Allyson Currin, DW Gregory, Nicole Jost, Kristen LePine and Anu Yadav.

In a recent correspondence, I asked the artistic director, Trey Morehouse about this local production. He explained that the inclusion of work by local writers adds a sense of place, and "speaks more to the current political climate." But the production is not intended to amplify the volume, nor stimulate "debate." Rather by lifting the topic of abortion above the cacophony of the public square (and the Internet), the makers of this production hope to reach the audience by way of intimate story-telling. The performance, he says, ". . . is moving, funny and heartfelt."  

The production is a collaboration; with sponsorship by the Honors College and Gender Studies Program. College students, recent graduates and community members were all involved. In fact a mother and daughter duo performed in Marie Marrinan's My Past and Future Self. But theatre production also includes the audience. Morehouse expects members of the UNCW community and residents of Wilmington. If you live within driving distance and have an interest in theatre, this is a fine opportunity. He closed his message with the following words; I think serve as a fine invitation, "At its heart it's a moving work that revolves around human connections, love, friendship and our shared humanity."

The Actors include: Brielle Hadad-McKiver, Chloe Mason, Amber Moore, Alyx Flodor, Serena Santiago, Addison Hamlet, LaTaun Danns and Truu Danns.

The Production Team include:

Artistic Director, Producer - Trey Morehouse

Student Director - Jamison Painter

Acting Coach, Artistic Associate – Chloe Mason

Costumes – Addison Hamlet

Sound – Rylan Morsbach, Trey Morehouse, Chloe Mason

Projections – Trey Morehouse, Mannuel Fernandez

Production Assistant – Trina Chodos

Lighting – Jamison Painter, Trey Morehouse, Manuel Fernandez

See our sidebar for details of the event.

---