Invisible Prisons; Thirteen monologues about domestic abuse
a play by Joy Snihur Wyatt Laking
“Our Hope for “Invisible Prisons”
Abuse is varied. It is made up of links of alienation, domination, isolation, and violation. Living with abuse gradually builds an invisible prison around a person and makes it very difficult for them to escape. By making abuse visible and recognized and unaccepted by society, we are providing one of the keys to escape.
All of our stories have been shared with the hope of helping others; helping others recognize abuse, helping others escape abuse, helping others get help to stop abusing and helping to make a society in which abuse is unacceptable.
We hope that high schools, universities and community groups and maybe even police departments might use the entire play, the abridged versions, or even individual monologues in their theatre programs, assemblies, workshops or meetings. Although domestic abuse is most often practiced by men against women, this is not always the case. Any time there is on-going power imbalance in a relationship, the potential for abuse exists. It is our hope that everyone will feel an ownership for the issue of domestic abuse in society and that we will work towards communication, negotiation, appreciation, and co-operation in all of our relationships.
Thanks to the many groups and people supported the production of Invisible Prisons in Truro in March 2013; The Town of Truro, The County of Colchester, all five community Health Boards from Colchester East Hants, Lenore Zann and the Truro Theatre Society, Dr. Karen Ewing, the Charles and Mary McLennan Foundation, and a special thanks to all of the people who shared their stories. Funding from the Robert Pope Foundation made this website and the discemination of the script and video possible. http://robertpopefoundation.com
Abuse is varied. It is made up of links of alienation, domination, isolation, and violation. Living with abuse gradually builds an invisible prison around a person and makes it very difficult for them to escape. By making abuse visible and recognized and unaccepted by society, we are providing one of the keys to escape.
All of our stories have been shared with the hope of helping others; helping others recognize abuse, helping others escape abuse, helping others get help to stop abusing and helping to make a society in which abuse is unacceptable.
We hope that high schools, universities and community groups and maybe even police departments might use the entire play, the abridged versions, or even individual monologues in their theatre programs, assemblies, workshops or meetings. Although domestic abuse is most often practiced by men against women, this is not always the case. Any time there is on-going power imbalance in a relationship, the potential for abuse exists. It is our hope that everyone will feel an ownership for the issue of domestic abuse in society and that we will work towards communication, negotiation, appreciation, and co-operation in all of our relationships.
Thanks to the many groups and people supported the production of Invisible Prisons in Truro in March 2013; The Town of Truro, The County of Colchester, all five community Health Boards from Colchester East Hants, Lenore Zann and the Truro Theatre Society, Dr. Karen Ewing, the Charles and Mary McLennan Foundation, and a special thanks to all of the people who shared their stories. Funding from the Robert Pope Foundation made this website and the discemination of the script and video possible. http://robertpopefoundation.com